By Muhammad Mamman
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for increased investment in disaster preparedness and resilience to reduce the impact of natural and man-made disasters across Nigeria.
Speaking at the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) in Abuja, themed “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” Shettima stressed that every amount spent on preparedness today prevents far greater losses in the future.
“Every naira we spend today on preparedness saves many more tomorrow on response and recovery,” he said. “Each investment in resilience is, in truth, an investment in the lives and futures of our people.”
Highlighting the devastating effects of floods, erosion, and market fires witnessed in recent years, the Vice President said these tragedies underline the urgency of shifting focus from emergency response to long-term risk reduction.
“Resilience cannot be guaranteed by government alone. It is built by all of us — through how we plan our cities, how businesses protect workers, and how communities support one another,” he said, urging the private sector to embed disaster risk reduction into corporate strategies and investment decisions.
Shettima also commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), led by Mrs Zubaida Umar, for its proactive and empathetic leadership. “On behalf of President Tinubu, I commend NEMA under the able leadership of Zubaida Umar. Where there is quality leadership that shows empathy, results will start to filter in,” he said.
In her remarks, Mrs Umar emphasised the need to shift from reactive disaster response to proactive resilience-building. She revealed that NEMA is collaborating with stakeholders to develop a National Risk Monitoring and Information Platform, which will provide early warnings, vulnerability mapping, and data-driven insights to guide investments.
She also highlighted ongoing discussions on innovative financing mechanisms, including catastrophe bonds, insurance pools, climate funds, and blended finance models, to ensure sustainable risk reduction nationwide.
The event was attended by members of the National Assembly, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, UN representatives, and other development partners, who reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria’s disaster resilience agenda.
