The director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, has appealed to the staff to discharge their duties with empathy, compassion, and understanding of disasters’ emotional toll on victims.
The NEMA DG made the call yesterday during a sensitisation workshop for NEMA staff at the Imo State office in Owerri. She was represented by the head of Imo and Abia states, Nnamdi Igwe, as part of activities to mark the customer service week.
According to her, NEMA interventions revolve around providing support for victims of disasters, adding that it was important that the staff provided the utmost empathy, compassion, and understanding of the emotional toll, saying it helps reduce trauma and build trust.
The NEMA DG disclosed that emergency presented unique challenges and called on NEMA staff to be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, saying good customer service delivery involved quick resolution of problems, adding that it requires strategies to meet the evolving needs of the people and communities affected.
Further, the NEMA boss said managing disasters requires collaboration with various organisations and sectors like the local governments, healthcare providers, and NGOs to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently, saying customer service delivery relies on smooth coordination to prevent service gaps or redundancies.
On feedback measures, she said that after interventions, feedback should be collected, stating, “After the initial emergency has been addressed, agencies should follow up with affected individuals and communities to ensure their longer-term recovery needs are met. Feedback mechanisms should also be in place to allow the public to share their experiences, helping agencies improve future emergency responses”.
The NEMA DG appealed to the staff to understand the diversity of Nigerians during interventions, adding, “Effective customer service in emergency management must consider the diverse needs of the population, ensuring services are accessible to all, regardless of age, disability, language barriers, or socio-economic status. Customer service delivery in emergency management is about providing high-quality, people-centred services that help mitigate the effects of disasters and emergencies”.
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