REP PASS BILL ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK.

The House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at strengthening Nigeria's emergency and disaster management framework. 

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie; Babajimi Benson and five others, seeks to repeal the existing National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Act and enact a new law that addresses critical issues such as climate change adaptation, drought, desertification, flooding, and oil spills.

The sponsors argue that the current NEMA Act lacks provisions for addressing these critical issues, and the new law would establish a framework for a more comprehensive disaster management response. 

In his lead debate, one of the sponsors, Amobi Ogah, explained that the bill also aims to reposition NEMA to ensure climate adaptation and resilience, aligning its disaster risk reduction strategy with international best practices.

Ogah disclosed that the proposed legislation would also establish a self-sustaining alternative funding mechanism for NEMA, going beyond the current funding mechanism. 

He added that when the bill is passed into law, it would transform NEMA into a stronger coordination authority, enabling it to better respond to disasters and emergencies in Nigeria.

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