From Okwe Obi, Abuja
A report released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has revealed that 2.3 million Nigerians in 452,363 displaced households (HHs) in North East were displaced in 2021.
NEMA said the displacement was caused by Boko Haram insurgents, farmers/herdsmen clashes, COVID-19, natural disaster such as flooding, building collapse, and fire incidents.
Presenting the report to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq, yesterday, in Abuja, NEMA Director General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, said the report was carried out in partnership with International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
“The report of round 39 Displacement Tracking Matrix carried out in the North East by NEMA and IOM as at December 30, 2021 put the number of internally displaced peoples (IDPs) at 2,200,357 amounting to 452,363 displaced HHs.
“The call by stakeholders for paradigm shift in the approach to disaster management from a relief-centred to all-inclusive and integrated approach covering the entire gamut of disaster management (prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation) necessitated the mainstreaming of disaster risk management in Nigeria,” Ahmed said.
He, however, stated that activities of State Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) were hampered due to the lack of well-equipped personnel and tools.
“It is important to note that the absence of well-equipped functional SEMAs and LEMCs in some states and councils respectively have continued to hinder the efforts of NEMA to achieve its target of emergency risk prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response in the country.”
T he minister, who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Nasir Sani Gwarzo, commended NEMA for timely submission of the document and assured of her continuous supports to the agency.