The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for greater commitment and effective collaboration on emergency management to enhance disaster response capabilities in the country.

The Director-General of the agency,  Mrs Zubaida Umar, said this on Monday in Abuja at a training workshop aimed at encouraging partners in crisis to organise better emergency responses during sudden and complex emergencies.

The training organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in coordination with NEMA had the title, ‘Mass Casualty and Public Health Emergency Management Component’.

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She acknowledged the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, saying that both natural and human-induced disasters resulted in significant human and economic losses.

She added that the training aims to identify gaps in current emergency response systems and equip participants with tools that will aid them in addressing gaps during emergencies.

Umar highlighted the importance of proactive preparation, inter-agency collaboration, and the role of technology in improving disaster management.

“Disasters, whether natural or human-induced, often result in loss of lives, human displacement, and long-term physical and emotional trauma to family units and communities.

“They place a heavy financial burden on government at all levels, often stretching the already limited resources, public health emergencies which frequently follow these catastrophic events further complicate the situation,” she said.