By Atlantic Reports

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged its personnel to place compassion, professionalism and accountability at the centre of their work with disaster victims.

The agency’s Director-General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, made the call on Wednesday during its 2026 Customer Service Week celebration in Lagos, themed “The Extra Mile”.

Represented by the Head of Lagos Operations, Mr Mohammed Olatunde, Umar said emergency management required more than operational efficiency because personnel often served displaced families, vulnerable communities and people facing distress.

“It requires compassion, responsiveness, professionalism, accountability, inclusiveness and a genuine understanding of the needs and dignity of the people we serve,” she said.

Umar noted that the quality of disaster response could affect lives, livelihoods, recovery and public confidence.

Response Must Respect Human Dignity

The director-general said floods, conflicts, fires, epidemics, building collapses, windstorms, drought and other emergencies continued to place significant demands on the agency.

She called for continuous improvements in preparedness, response, recovery and disaster risk reduction, stressing that humanitarian responsibility was reflected in practical actions.

“It is a responsibility that must be demonstrated through what we do, how quickly we respond, how we communicate and how we treat people,” Umar said.

For affected families, those standards concern both timely assistance and respectful treatment during displacement, loss and recovery.

Umar said the agency’s ultimate measure of success should remain the difference it made in the lives of people and communities affected by disasters.

Management Must Provide Resources

Umar called for a workplace culture that encouraged responsiveness, respect, innovation and accountability. She also said management had a responsibility to provide the systems, resources, training and leadership needed for effective service delivery.

She said NEMA had strengthened its operational presence through zonal and operations offices and maintained collaboration with state emergency management agencies, local governments, security agencies and humanitarian organisations.

According to her, these partnerships supported disaster assessments, search and rescue, early-warning activities, public sensitisation, relief interventions and emergency coordination.

The address did not include response-time figures, relief delivery data or feedback from affected communities with which to assess the reported improvements.

Stronger Coordination for Prevention

Umar said the scale and complexity of disasters meant NEMA could not work alone. She urged stronger communication, consultation and stakeholder participation.

“A stakeholder who is properly informed can become a partner in prevention,” she said.

She commended personnel and partners working under demanding conditions, as well as the agency’s SERVICOM Unit for promoting service standards.

Representatives of the Federal and State Fire Services, the Nigeria Police’s Disaster Management Unit and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Disaster Unit attended the event, alongside the media. Staff also participated in a display of traditional attire.

The service commitments outlined at the celebration will be tested in how quickly assistance reaches affected communities, how clearly the agency communicates and how respectfully people are treated throughout their recovery.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.