The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, on Thursday, 3rd July 2025, received the Commandant of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Mr. J.O. Odama, during a courtesy visit to the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The visit was aimed at deepening collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in the area of institutional capacity building. In his remarks, Mr. Odama emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships in strengthening national resilience and security architecture. He noted that the Institute is expanding its academic and professional programmes to reflect current and emerging national priorities, and expressed interest in enrolling NEMA personnel in executive management and leadership courses designed to enhance public sector effectiveness.
He stated, “Our mandate at NISS is to develop top-tier professionals equipped with the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to manage complex security and development challenges. We believe NEMA’s work aligns strongly with this vision, and we are excited about the prospect of mutual engagement.”
In her response, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, expressed appreciation to the Commandant and his team for the visit and congratulated NISS on its continued progress in building national capacity through education and research.
She described the proposed collaboration as timely, especially given the evolving nature of disaster and emergency management, which increasingly requires multi-sectoral coordination, policy-driven planning, and advanced strategic thinking.
“At NEMA, we are committed to developing a highly skilled workforce capable of delivering effective, timely, and coordinated responses to emergencies and disasters. Collaborating with NISS will provide our personnel with valuable exposure to high-level training that will improve our institutional preparedness and inter-agency synergy,” Mrs. Umar said.
She reaffirmed the Agency’s readiness to work closely with the Institute in areas of mutual interest, including curriculum development, staff training, policy research, and simulation exercises. The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to initiate a technical working group to identify specific areas of cooperation and to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will formalize the partnership.
This engagement underscores NEMA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its institutional capacity and deepen collaboration with key stakeholders in the national security and emergency management landscape.
**3rd July 2025**
**Location: NEMA Headquarters, Abuja**
