The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) have agreed to deepen their collaboration, aiming to integrate public health considerations into Nigeria’s disaster management framework.
The partnership, reaffirmed during a courtesy visit by the Director General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, to NEMA Headquarters in Abuja, seeks to strengthen joint prevention, preparedness, and humanitarian response efforts across the country—particularly among vulnerable and displaced populations.
Receiving the delegation, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, described the renewed collaboration as timely and strategic, noting that both agencies share similar coordination mandates critical to national resilience and public safety.
“We are both coordinating agencies—NACA focuses on HIV/AIDS, while NEMA coordinates disaster management. The link between health crises and disaster response is undeniable, and this partnership will help us better serve vulnerable populations,” Mrs. Umar said.
She emphasized the need for greater investment in prevention, improved data sharing, and integrated health interventions in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and other humanitarian settings. According to her, strengthening preventive measures aligns with this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction theme, which calls for investing in prevention rather than reaction.
Mrs. Umar also expressed NEMA’s readiness to incorporate HIV prevention materials and health awareness campaigns into its humanitarian outreach activities. She noted that such initiatives would promote inclusion and reduce stigma for persons living with HIV in long-term displacement camps.
Additionally, she welcomed NACA’s proposal for joint training and capacity-building programs for emergency workers, saying the initiative would enhance staff competence and sensitivity in handling health-related emergencies.
Earlier, Dr. Temitope Ilori commended NEMA for its leadership in coordinating national disaster response and reaffirmed NACA’s commitment to integrating HIV/AIDS management into broader humanitarian operations.
She revealed that an estimated two million Nigerians are currently living with HIV, adding that stronger collaboration with agencies like NEMA would help ensure that vulnerable communities—especially those affected by disasters—are not left behind.
“We want to ensure that public health protection becomes an integral part of emergency management. Community outreach, preventive education, and data-driven planning are key to reducing transmission and improving the well-being of affected persons,” Dr. Ilori said.
Officials from both agencies who spoke during the meeting underscored the importance of sustained inter-agency coordination, joint field operations, and community-level awareness programs.
The visit ended with an exchange of souvenirs and group photographs, marking the beginning of a renewed partnership between the two national coordinating bodies.
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