By Miriam Humbe
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s humanitarian transition in line with its statutory mandate of coordinating disaster management and humanitarian response across the country.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar gave the assurance on Tuesday, 14th July, 2026, at the opening of the Humanitarian Transition Workshop organised by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Abuja.
She described the workshop as a timely platform for developing a joint action plan that will strengthen a nationally led, sustainable and people-centred humanitarian system in Nigeria.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar stated that the humanitarian transition aligns with NEMA’s statutory mandate and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to providing strategic leadership in disaster management through effective coordination, anticipatory action, strengthened preparedness, reliable data, sustainable partnerships and collaboration across all levels of government.
She said that the workshop has provided opportunity for stakeholders to jointly develop practical strategies for strengthening federal and state institutions, improving coordination mechanisms, enhancing preparedness and ensuring that humanitarian interventions remain accountable, inclusive and responsive to the needs of vulnerable populations.
The Director General assured that NEMA would continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders including the United Nations, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), development partners to advance a coordinated, resilient and nationally owned humanitarian system.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, in his remarks acknowledged the changing global humanitarian landscape that has necessitated the humanitarian transition process.
He urged state and local governments, the private sector, development partners and Nigerians in the diaspora to view the transition as a shared responsibility and mobilise resources to support vulnerable communities across the country.
Also speaking, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr. Mohamed Malik Fall, assured participants that the humanitarian transition does not signify the withdrawal of the United Nations from Nigeria.
Rather, he explained that it represents a strategic transformation aimed at enabling Nigerian institutions to take greater leadership in humanitarian interventions, while the United Nations system continues to provide technical expertise, capacity building and other critical support.
The workshop brought together representatives of Federal and State Government institutions, United Nations agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other key stakeholders to deliberate on strategies for strengthening nationally led humanitarian action and ensuring a smooth, coordinated transition towards sustainable and locally driven humanitarian response in Nigeria.
