Tunde Bakare
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the process of developing a National Policy on Relief and Rehabilitation Interventions with a national stakeholders’ consultative workshop aimed at standardising relief and rehabilitation efforts across Nigeria.
Declaring open, a two-day national stakeholders’ consultative workshop in Abuja on Monday, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said the development of the policy had become imperative to provide a coordinated and well-defined framework for relief and rehabilitation interventions nationwide.
She explained that the proposed policy would provide a clear framework for planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating relief and rehabilitation interventions across the country.
She said that the policy will clearly define the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, promote accountability, improve operational efficiency, and ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches affected persons promptly without duplication or gaps in service delivery.
The Director General expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its technical and financial support towards the development of the policy. She also acknowledged the contributions of development partners and other stakeholders whose collaboration has continued to strengthen disaster management and humanitarian response in Nigeria.
Speaking at the workshop, the World Bank’s Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Mr. Francis Nkoka, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting the policy development process. He described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening disaster risk management and building a more resilient Nigeria.
He also commended the Director General of NEMA for spearheading the initiative.
In his remarks, the Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Mr. David Stevenson, who was represented by the WFP Programme Officer, Mr. Akeem Ajibola, commended NEMA for initiating the development of the policy. He noted that the initiative would significantly improve the coordination and delivery of relief and rehabilitation interventions across Nigeria.
Earlier, NEMA’s Acting Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Abbani Imam Garki, said the workshop was convened to obtain critical inputs from stakeholders towards producing a practical, inclusive and implementable national policy. He noted that the initiative would harmonise relief and rehabilitation interventions and provide a clear guide for humanitarian response across the country.
The two-day consultation was organised by NEMA with support from the World Bank. Participants were drawn from relevant Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), State Governments, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), development partners, humanitarian organisations, academia and other key stakeholders.