Nigeria’s Emergency Management Agency Partners Air Force In Rescue Operations

NEMA Helicopter (photo credit: Guardian Nigeria)

By Joseph Edegbo

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA Is to partner Nigerian Air Force in the area of rescue mission during disasters.

The Director General of the Agency, Mustapha Maihaja stated this on Tuesday during a visit to the 401 Flying Training School of the Nigerian Air Force, Kaduna, Northwest of the country.

He assured staff of the Flying School that stakeholders would henceforth participate in joint training to provide better response to emergencies.

“One of the gaps identified by the Commander of 401 Training School is the need for joint training, this is noted and I assure you we would have a special session where this gap and others would be discussed,” he assured.

Maihaja who spoke on the mandates of the Agency, said that NEMA is saddled with responsibility of disaster management in all ramifications.

“Disaster has a circular activity from prevention, mitigation to response. NEMA coordinates all activities of stakeholders in disaster management circle.

“The agency is also charged with responsibility of coordinating disaster management of humanitarian crisis,” he added.

NEMA DG said that the agency has developed many policies, including the National Disaster Response Plan, that guides disaster management in Nigeria.

“Its main component is establishing a disaster response unit which forms an integral part. Disaster categorised into three, minor, major and catastrophic.

“FG response only comes when it is catastrophic. Others can be handled by State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA ,or local authorities.

“But today in NEMA, we find ourselves also managing minor disasters,” he added.

“The President declares a catastrophic disaster and all units, including the Army, Navy and Air force disaster units are activated and coordinated by NEMA,” he said.

“We cannot run away from natural disasters, mostly owing to the climate change. As disaster managers, we would do all within our powers to ensure that NEMA is prompt in response to disasters,” he assured.

The visit to all Disaster Response Units in the country, he explained, commenced with the 401 Flying Training School.

In his address of welcome, Commander 401 Flying Training School, Group Captain Ahmed Yusuf Dari said the school was established in 1964 for Flying training for NAF Pilots and also serves as a disaster response unit.

“It was upgraded in 1970 and again in 1984. It operates Air Beetle and other aircraft,” he added.

Group Captain Dari said that the school is designated a direct emergency response unit.

“Our achievements include 12 casualty and 13 medical evacuation missions within the last 6 months especially in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country.

The Commander told the NEMA DG that the unit seeks assistance from the agency in terms of training, search and rescue operations, as well as scuba diving training.

“In executing the unit’s responsibilities, we have tried to operate within our safety limits and we got assistance from NEMA in 2016. NEMA conducted 60% of operations in that accident,” he added,

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