From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives passed a bill for second reading on Thursday, May 8, to enhance Nigeria’s emergency response to disasters such as drought, desertification, flooding, coastal erosion, dam failures, building collapses, and oil spills.
Sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and six others, including Amobi Ogah, the bill seeks to repeal the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Act, Cap. N34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and enact a new National Emergency Management Agency Bill.
Leading the debate, Ogah stated: “NEMA will be repositioned through this Bill to ensure climate adaptation and resilience in today’s world of complex disaster management. This reform will also ensure that NEMA disaster risk reduction strategy is aligned with international best practices.”
He highlighted operational constraints and inadequate funding as barriers to effective response, noting the current NEMA Act’s lack of provisions for climate change adaptation.
The bill aims to strengthen NEMA’s coordination role, establish a disaster management institute for training staff and stakeholders, and regulate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international NGOs (INGOs) involved in disaster management.
Ogah added: “This Bill presents to us a practical step towards transforming the nation’s emergency and disaster management response framework… Every Nigerian deserves to be protected and assisted at times of emergencies and disasters.”