NEMA urges stronger State, Local role in disaster management

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has emphasised the need for a coordinated disaster response system across federal, state, and local government levels.

Mr. Eric Ebhodaghe, NEMA’s South-South Zonal Coordinator, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Port Harcourt.

He raised concerns over the weak operational framework in some states, stressing that effective disaster management requires active participation from State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Government Emergency Management Committees (LGEMCs).

“SEMA is expected to replicate NEMA’s functions at the state level, while LGEMCs are to mirror SEMA’s efforts within communities. In essence, when NEMA introduces mitigation measures for a disaster, states are expected to implement them,” he said.

Ebhodaghe explained that disaster response should begin at the local level with LGEMCs as first responders, supported by SEMA, while NEMA intervenes when disasters overwhelm states.

He expressed concern that some states neither understand the framework nor have properly established SEMAs, relying solely on NEMA for interventions.

According to him, disaster management is multi-sectoral and cannot be left for NEMA alone, especially as some states lack legal backing for their emergency agencies.

He urged state governments to set up and empower SEMAs in line with statutory provisions, insisting that disaster management remains a shared responsibility.