The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has requested increased support and a stronger partnership with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to effectively manage disasters and enhance disaster risk reduction efforts.
Mustapha Habib Ahmed, the Director-General of NEMA, made this appeal during a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar, at NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
Ahmed emphasized the urgency of strengthening the partnership between NEMA and NAF due to the escalating frequency and severity of disasters in Nigeria and worldwide.
With the outset of the rainy season and the predicted annual floods and associated hazards by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NEMA specifically sought NAF’s assistance in search and rescue operations, personnel and equipment transportation, and the delivery of life-saving relief materials.
During the visit, Ahmed expressed NEMA’s reliance on the unwavering support of the Chief of the Air Staff and his dedicated team in responding to sudden disasters and emergencies.
He commended the CAS on his appointment and acknowledged the NAF’s vital role in search and rescue missions, medical evacuations, and the airdropping of relief supplies to inaccessible areas during emergencies.
Responding to the request, the Chief of the Air Staff affirmed the NAF’s commitment to supporting NEMA as part of its constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority.
Air Vice Marshal Abubakar highlighted the longstanding collaborative relationship between NEMA and the NAF, citing previous joint exercises and the existence of 22 Disaster Response Units across the country.
He also mentioned the memorandum of understanding signed between NAF and NEMA in 2022, underscoring the significance of their cooperative partnership.
Accompanying the Director-General of NEMA were Alhassan Nuhu, Director of Relief and Rehabilitation; Daniel Obot, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction; and Bashir Garga, Deputy Director of Operations. On the NAF side, present were Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdulkadir, the Chief of Operations, and Air Vice Marshal Nanjul Kumzhi, the Director of Policy.
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