The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative in Nigeria Ms Cristian Munduate was at the headquarters of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) today. She was received by the Director General NEMA Mustapha Habib Ahmed.
The UNICEF Country Representative and Director General of NEMA together with their management team members present during the visit discussed how to strengthen the existing partnership between the two organizations and towards improving capacities for disaster management in Nigeria.
In her remarks, the UNICEF Chief commended the DG NEMA for the continuous improvement in timely response to disaster situations and the recent launch of the National Contingency Plan by NEMA. She assured that UNICEF will continue to collaborate with NEMA to further improve on disaster management in Nigeria.
Responding, the DG NEMA Mustapha Habib Ahmed traced existing relationship between UNICEF and NEMA to about 2002 and how the partnership has been sustained through many areas of collaboration to the recent launch of the National Contingency Plan.
He said, “NEMA is therefore willing to sustain the relationship with UNICEF while looking forward to new areas of collaboration to support the people in need, especially in the aspect of proper coordination of emergency response and capacity building.”
The DG NEMA requested the support of UNICEF to improve the Agency’s Situation Room as well as in the areas of data and information management; capacity building; review of plans and policies; and improved coordination through the Emergency Coordination Forum meetings.
The UNICEF country Representative was accompanied by Christina Valderrama-Alfirev, Emergency Manager, and Mr Olayinka Afolabi, Emergency Specialist.
The Director of Planning Research and Forecasting Dr Onimode A. Bandele, Director Search and Rescue Air Commodore KS Matalowu, Ag. Director Relief and Rehabilitation Malam Adamu Abdullahi Usur, Special Assistant to the DG Mr Idris Abubakar Mohammed and other officers joined the DG in receiving the UNICEF Country Representative and her team.
