The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the process of developing a National Policy on Relief and Rehabilitation Interventions to standardize delivery of support to persons affected by disasters in the country.
Declaring openned, a two-day national stakeholders’ consultative workshop in Abuja on Monday, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said the development of the policy had become imperative to provide a coordinated and well-defined framework for relief and rehabilitation interventions nationwide.
She explained that the proposed policy would provide a clear framework for planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating relief and rehabilitation interventions across the country.
The Director General expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its support towards the development of the policy, noting that the inputs of stakeholders were invaluable to improve operational efficiency, and ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches affected persons promptly without duplication or gaps in service delivery.
The World Bank’s Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Mr. Francis Nkoka, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting the policy development process. He described the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening disaster risk management and building a more resilient Nigeria.
He also commended the Director General of NEMA for spearheading the initiative
In his remarks, the Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Mr. David Stevenson, who was represented by the WFP Programme Officer, Mr. Akeem Ajibola, commended NEMA for initiating the development of the policy. He noted that the initiative would significantly improve the coordination and delivery of relief and rehabilitation interventions across Nigeria.
Earlier, NEMA’s Acting Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Abbani Imam Garki, said the workshop was convened to obtain critical inputs from stakeholders towards producing a practical, inclusive and implementable national policy.