Nigeria’s top disaster and telecom regulators are stepping up their game. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) are tightening ties to boost the country’s emergency communication system and make disaster response quicker and more effective.
This fresh collaboration was highlighted when NEMA’s Director General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, visited Dr Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, in Abuja. According to Umar, this visit is part of a broader plan to improve emergency alerts and promote stronger disaster risk reduction strategies nationwide.
“We need to widen the scope of our cooperation, especially when it comes to early warning systems and real-time emergency communication,” she said. Umar also praised the NCC for activating the national emergency number and suggested syncing it with NEMA’s hotline for smoother communication. The goal is to ensure Nigerians get the help they need—fast.
Public Awareness Still a Gap
Dr Maida, in response, promised NCC’s continued backing for the partnership. But he didn’t stop there. He called for increased public education on how and when to use emergency numbers. “People need to understand that these numbers aren’t just digits—they’re lifelines,” he said.
The push for collaboration comes at a time when Nigeria has seen multiple disasters—both natural and man-made—that exposed gaps in emergency communication. By merging efforts, both agencies hope to make emergency responses more timely, coordinated, and efficient.
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