National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has launched a geospatial centre for enhanced prevention of disasters through early warning signal and efficient data interpretation.
  
Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, stated this at the commissioning of the geospatial centre, in Abuja. According to him, the centre is a Geographic Information System (GIS), which enables the creation, organisation and presentation of data in a spatially referenced form, as well as the production of maps and charts.  He said: “The system is useful in all phases of emergency management, including preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.
  
“It also provides decision support system in disaster management. GIS has the power to integrate data from various sources into a common platform to make it readily accessible to various stakeholders for monitoring impending risks and giving out early warning that elicits early response. It provides real-time imageries that guide the deployment of human and material assets on life-saving missions in the event of disaster.”
  
While commissioning the centre, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, described the centre is a testament to government’s effort to improve quality of lives.
  
“The world is presently confronted by increasing global upsurge in magnitude and complexity of various disasters that have affected many countries as evidenced in droughts, disasters, desertification, famine and even communal crises arising from competition over land use and ownership.
  
“This underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to disaster management aimed at providing necessary support to the affected citizens,” he added.
  
Giving further insight into the function of the centre, Head, NEMA GIS Unit, Mrs Funmi Obola, explained that the functions of the GIS unit include to process and use space satellite technology for information gathering, research and forecast for disaster management.
  
Other functions are to carry out field survey, mapping and evaluation of various disasters and aftermath, carry out damage risk vulnerability analysis and prediction, among others.
  
She said: “Over the years, NEMA GIS, now geospatial centre, have collaborated with other stakeholders such as the United Nations Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UNSPIDER), Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA).”