Governor Lawal Pledges Team Work With Emergency Management Agency

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has declared his administration’s readiness to partner with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for effective disaster management.

The governor stated this at the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the launch of the related strategy yesterday at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Conference Centre in Abuja.

A statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that Vice President Kashim Shettima, led the official launch of NEMA’s strategic plan (2025 – 2029), the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategy (2025 – 2030), and the Action Plan (2025 – 2028).

The statement added that the event with the theme ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disaster’ attracted stakeholders from across Nigeria.

In his goodwill message, Governor Lawal praised NEMA for organising a timely dialogue and for its dedication to enhancing Nigeria’s disaster risk management framework.

He said, “Disasters occur in a vicious cycle where one disaster fuels another. Our experience underscores that no risk is truly isolated; it is interconnected, and managing it requires a strategic approach.

“Therefore, I commend you on the formal launch of your five-year strategic plan, tagged: ‘The National Disaster Risk Strategy 2025 to 2030’.

“As we launch the strategic plan and deliberate on funding models, I urge all stakeholders to deepen collaboration and ensure that no stakeholder is left behind in our collective effort to build a safer, more resilient Nigeria.

“The theme of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,’ must be transformed into concrete plans during this roundtable.

“To ensure sustainability, it is crucial to build resilience in funding, as disaster management is a dynamic and evolving process. Funding mechanisms should be dynamic, flexible, and readily available,” he said.

Governor Lawal added that Zamfara faces many disasters and emergencies, both natural and man-made, such as insecurity, fires, displacement, mining shaft collapses, floods, and other adverse effects of climate change, among others.

“Through it all, we can always count on NEMA to be there as part of the management, recovery, reconstruction, and mitigation efforts. Therefore, I thank you on behalf of the government and people of Zamfara State for your efforts and interventions and for always being there in our times of need,” he said.