NEMA convenes key meeting to craft national policy on relief, rehabilitation

Abdullateef Fowewe

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has held a crucial preparatory meeting on Friday to develop the National Policy on Relief and Rehabilitation Intervention (NPRRI), aiming to fill a long-standing gap in Nigeria’s disaster management framework.

The gathering united NEMA’s top management with major humanitarian partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Nigerian Red Cross Society, World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and Oxfam.

NEMA’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar—represented by her Special Assistant, Hajia Rakiya Bello Umar—opened the session, welcoming attendees and stressing collaboration. “She expressed appreciation for their presence, underscoring the importance of the proposed policy and urging active engagement to ensure meaningful outcomes,” the agency’s statement noted.

The policy push comes after over two decades of NEMA leading disaster efforts without a dedicated national framework for relief and rehabilitation.

“The formulation of the policy was described as timely,” the statement highlighted, signaling a pivotal step toward structured interventions amid rising humanitarian needs.