The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has enlisted the help of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in an effort to improve disaster management and lower hazards. This appeal was made by the NEMA Director-General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar, at NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
DG Mustapha Ahmed stressed the requirement that NEMA strengthen its partnership with the NAF in light of the rising frequency and severity of disasters both in Nigeria and throughout the world. NEMA anticipates needing the NAF’s assistance in areas like search and rescue operations, personnel transportation, and the delivery of life-saving relief supplies due to the beginning of the rainy season and the potential for annual floods and associated hazards, as predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
During the discussion, Mustapha Ahmed emphasized NEMA’s sustained dependence on the Air Force’s capabilities during emergencies and sudden calamities and expressed gratitude for the NAF’s ongoing support. In addition to expressing his congratulations on the Chief of the Air Staff’s appointment, he emphasized the NAF’s crucial airlift capabilities in search and rescue missions, medical evacuations, and the airdropping of aid supplies to remote and inhospitable places during emergencies.
In response, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar underlined the NAF’s dedication to supporting NEMA as part of its legal obligation to offer military assistance to civil authorities. He stressed the value of preserving the close working connection between the NAF and NEMA as he thought back on previous joint collaborative efforts. With 22 Disaster Response Units around the country, the NAF has a long history of working with NEMA, according to Air Vice Marshal Abubakar. He added that the NAF and NEMA inked a memorandum of understanding in 2022 to further develop and consolidate their collaboration.
Alhassan Nuhu, the director of relief and rehabilitation, Bashir Garga, the deputy director of operations for NEMA, and Daniel Obot, the director of disaster risk reduction, were in attendance with DG Mustapha Ahmed. The NAF was represented by Air Vice Marshals Abubakar Abdulkadir, Director of Operations, and Nanjul Kumzhi, Director of Policy.
The partnership between NEMA and the Nigerian Air Force exemplifies the nation’s coordinated efforts and shared commitment to efficient disaster management and emergency response. They seek to strengthen the nation’s resilience in the event of catastrophes and natural disasters by combining their resources and knowledge in order to better protect lives, reduce risks, and quickly deliver relief to impacted populations.
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