Lawmakers have demanded increased support for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to manage disasters effectively across Nigeria.

NEMA made this known on Thursday in a statement shared on its official X account after the Director General, Zubaida Umar, appeared before the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives to defend the agency’s budget estimates for the 2025 fiscal year.

According to the statement, the legislators commended NEMA’s achievements in 2024.

They also discussed the need for increased support to enhance the agency’s capacity to respond to emergencies and manage disasters effectively in the country.

The joint sitting was composed of members of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, chaired by Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, and the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Management, chaired by Rt. Hon. Joseph Bassey. Senator Lawan presided over the session, with Hon. Bassey serving as Co-Chair.

During her presentation, the DG of NEMA provided updates on the performance of the 2024 approved budget and outlined the agency’s proposed allocations for 2025.

Umar also justified the estimates based on the agency’s strategic goals and operational needs.

“Following the presentation, the members of the Committees engaged in discussions about the estimates, culminating in the adoption of a motion for further legislative actions to review the allocations to NEMA for disaster management,” the statement read.