Key Points

• NEMA festive season emergency response activated nationwide.

• Agencies coordinate to improve festive emergency readiness.

• Public urged to follow safety rules.

As Nigeria gets ready for the holiday season, when people travel more, gather in public places, and face higher safety risks, the National Emergency Management Agency has put emergency response plans into action across the country.

The announcement was made in Abuja on Saturday. The goal of the move is to make it easier to coordinate and respond to emergencies during the holidays and after. Zubaida Umar, the Director-General of NEMA, said that the agency has put all of its operational units on alert and is working more closely with security agencies and first responders.

NEMA’s steps to get ready for emergencies during the holidays

During a staff fitness exercise, Umar talked about how being physically ready is important for managing emergencies when there are a lot of people and cars around. She said that NEMA staff in all of its zonal, territorial, and state offices are ready to respond quickly to any situation.

Coordination between agencies supports operations during the holiday season

NEMA said it is working closely with the police, armed forces, civil defence, road safety officials, and other emergency groups to speed up response times and share information. The agency said that working together is very important for handling accidents, disasters, and other emergencies that happen a lot during the holidays.

NEMA’s safety advisory for emergency response during the holidays

Umar told Nigerians to stay safe during the celebrations and told drivers to follow traffic rules and not speed. She also told people to be careful on roads, in waterways, at events, and in their own neighbourhoods.

The agency reiterated its duty to protect lives and property, stressing that training exercises help keep discipline, teamwork, and operational readiness. Air Commodore Bature Usman, who is in charge of NEMA’s search and rescue operations, said that the drills are normal but become more important during times of high risk, like the holiday season.