By Abasi Ita
The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has announced plans to collaborate with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and resilience across the South-South region.
During a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, the Managing Director of SSDC, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, commended the agency for its life-saving interventions in disaster management and humanitarian response nationwide.
She said the meeting was timely and strategic as the South-South region continues to face challenges such as flooding, coastal erosion, oil spills, and communal displacements, which have disrupted livelihoods and slowed development.
Ms. Akpabio called for closer institutional collaboration with NEMA, proposing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and the creation of a Joint Technical Committee to drive implementation. She identified key partnership areas, including flood control, oil spill response, support for displaced persons, and capacity building for emergency agencies.
In her response, Mrs. Umar welcomed the partnership and reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to advancing disaster resilience and sustainable development. She highlighted ongoing training programmes for young first responders at the University of Port Harcourt and urged state governments to strengthen their emergency agencies and promote regular environmental sanitation.
Mrs. Umar also emphasized the need to address the root causes of disasters through infrastructure development, inter-agency collaboration, and strict adherence to Environmental Impact Assessment reports.
Both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to protecting lives, restoring livelihoods, and building resilient communities across the South-South region.