Big Gist Africa

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has honoured traditional rulers in Kaduna North and Chikun Local Government Areas (LGAs) for supporting disaster prevention and risk reduction efforts. Halima Suleiman, Head of Operations, NEMA Kaduna Operations Office, presented the awards during courtesy visits to the traditional rulers on Thursday as part of the agency’s Customer Service Week programme. Suleiman said the visits were aimed at appreciating community leaders for their contributions to disaster management activities. She said their collaboration had helped the agency disseminate disaster awareness and prevention messages to communities. “I feel a sense of satisfaction because we have visited people we have served and collaborated with to ensure our messages reach the grassroots,” she said. Suleiman said the community leaders had demonstrated appreciation for the agency’s work and acknowledged their previous collaborations. She stressed that NEMA could not effec...

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged its staff to prioritise compassion, professionalism and accountability in providing services to disaster-affected persons. Mrs Zubaida Umar, Director-General of NEMA, gave the advice in a keynote address at the agency’s 2026 Customer Service Week celebration on Wednesday in Kaduna, Umar said humanitarian service required empathy, responsiveness and respect for the dignity of vulnerable persons, displaced families and communities affected by disasters. Represented by Halima Sulaiman, Head of Operations, Kaduna Office, she said the quality of service delivery could influence lives, livelihoods, recovery and public confidence in the agency. The DG said NEMA continues to collaborate with state emergency management agencies, security agencies, humanitarian partners and other stakeholders to strengthen disaster preparedness and response. She listed the agency’s interventions to include disaster assessments, search and resc...

The Federal Fire Service (FFS) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have urged students to adopt fire safety measures and embrace disaster preparedness to protect lives and property. The agencies gave the advice on Tuesday, during a sensitisation exercise at the Federal Government College, Kaduna, to mark the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, themed “Resilience Starts at Home”. The State Controller, FFS Kaduna Command, Mr. Aminu Kiyawa, identified faulty electrical wiring, overloaded sockets and improper handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as potential causes of fire outbreaks. “During an emergency, students need to know what to do, when to do it and how to respond,” he said. Kiyawa warned against using water to extinguish electrical fire, advising students to disconnect the power supply where safe and use appropriate firefighting equipment. He urged the school management to establish fire safety clubs and develop emergency response pl...

*NEMA stresses  importance of safe boarding procedures, flood survival skills The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has cautioned boat operators against night sailing, overloading and failure to use life jackets to prevent avoidable accidents on Nigerian waterways. Zonal Area Manager, NIWA Kaduna and Katsina Area Offices,  Mr. Munir Mohammed,  gave the warning at a safety sensitisation campaign on waterway safety and flood control in Kaduna. Mohammed said preventable human errors, including the use of unseaworthy boats, overloading and failure to wear life jackets, contributed to boat accidents. He said the campaign was designed to promote the use of standard life jackets, educate water users on flood safety precautions and discourage unsafe navigation practices. Mohammed urged participants to apply the safety measures demonstrated during the campaign and promote awareness in their communities and at jetties. He called for stronger collaboration ...

*Raises eyebrows over INEC composition  Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has appealed to United States President Donald Trump to intervene diplomatically to ensure that Nigeria’s 2027 general elections are free, fair and credible. Frank, in an open letter to Trump titled, “No Mandate From Fraud: Election 2027,” urged the US government to impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans, asset freezes and financial restrictions, on electoral officials, judicial officers and security personnel found culpable of electoral manipulation. He called on the Trump administration to adopt what he described as a “No Mandate From Fraud” policy, arguing that credible elections were essential to accountable leadership, economic development and national stability. Frank expressed concerns over the composition of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the concentration of people from Presid...

The National Coordinator of the Tinubu Health Sector Practitioners Alliance, Dr Ogechi Lokpobiri, has urged health professionals to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, citing reported investments in medical education, healthcare infrastructure, workforce development and health insurance. Lokpobiri said the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had introduced initiatives aimed at strengthening the healthcare system, expanding professional training and improving access to medical services across the country. She also commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, for their roles in advancing reforms in healthcare delivery and medical education. According to her, collaboration between the two ministries is essential to producing skilled health professionals, upgrading medical institutions and improving the quality of healthcare services available to Nige...