Enugu, Nigeria – The Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, has called on stakeholders and customers in emergency management to embrace technological-driven improvement on disaster mapping and response.
Umar, represented by the acting Zonal Coordinator, NEMA South-East, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, said this on Tuesday at a Stakeholders’ Meeting in Enugu as part of activities to mark the commemoration of NEMA’s Customer Service Week.
The Customer Service Week, which is themed: “Above and Beyond”, is running from Oct. 7 till Oct. 11, 2024, with the aim of celebrating service in organisation and the people who provide those services.
Umar appreciated the numerous contributions of stakeholders and customers in areas of collaboration, swift response, information gathering, team work and selfless services, among others.
She called on stakeholders to embrace innovation and continuously improve existing systems and processes to better serve the public and ensure optimal service delivery to the people.
The Director-General noted that “teamwork remains one of NEMA’s strongest assets”, adding that the complexity of emergency situations required collaboration and synergy across different tiers of government, sectors, departments, NGOs, private sectors and external partners.
She said, “By working together, sharing resources/knowledge and supporting each other, we can achieve even greater successes in fulfilling our mission.
“As we celebrate Customer Service Week, let us reaffirm our commitment to working above and beyond in achieving excellence in service delivery, innovation and teamwork in all that we do.
“Together, we will continue to build a stronger and more responsive agency that stands ready to serve the people of this nation in their times of greatest need above and beyond their expectations.”
On the theme, the Director-General urged emergency managers and stakeholders to remember that the quality of the services delivered could often be the difference between life and death and are above and beyond always.
“Our customers, whether they are victims of natural disasters, displaced persons or communities impacted by disasters, rely on us to provide timely, efficient and compassionate assistance,” she added.
Corroborating, Mrs Chinasa Mbah, acting Head, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), called on the emergency management stakeholders to serve with diligence and commitment, “knowing that there is a reward for selfless and humanitarian service.
“We should be focused on service delivery and delivering it with humanitarian touch as it is clear that the risk you take to respond to disaster is above the enumeration you get,” Mbah said.
The Traditional Ruler of Ugwogo Nike Community in Enugu, Igwe Emeka Ugwu, commended NEMA, SEMA and Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) for their works in bringing succour and relief to victims of disasters in the state.
Ugwu, however, urged the Enugu State Government to check road disasters by stopping activities of traders along major roads within Enugu metropolis.
Mr Emeka Okoh, the Coordinator of LEMC in Enugu State, commended the enormous services of NEMA, aimed at reducing the burden of distress on persons and communities facing disaster situations.
Mrs Eucheria Onwuegbuna, representing the Nigeria Red Cross Society, Enugu State Chapter, lauded NEMA for organising the customer week and assured that Red Cross would continue to partner with NEMA, SEMA and LEMC in order to reduce disaster risks.
The event is being attended by officers of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Federal Fire Service, traditional rulers/community heads, NYSC-Emergency Management Vanguards and officials of the Enugu State Ministries of Health, Education and Environment, among others.
