NEMA Seeks NAFDAC’s Collaboration on Swift Delivery of Medicaments

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday requested the collaboration of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) towards delivery of quality medicaments to persons affected by disasters in the country.

The Director-General, NEMA, Mr. Mustapha Habib Ahmed, while making the request during a courtesy call on the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in Abuja, hinted that the paradigm shift adopted by NEMA towards disaster risk reduction and building of a national resilience could not be achieved without the support of partner agency like NAFDAC.

Ahmed said Nigeria in recent times is confronted with significant humanitarian crises, nature induced hazards especially floods, windstorms, marine, gully erosion, desertification among others, which are constantly exacerbated by climate change and variability have also posed great challenge to development planning across socio-economic sectors.

He stressed that the cocktail of challenges has been complicated by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant physical and emotional lockdowns and global economic sectors.

Ahmed, however, said: “The good news is that as an outcome of lessons learnt under crises, NEMA is adopting the new normal and is getting better prepared for improved service delivery, developing technology and building new networks to confront both old and emerging challenges.”

While noting the imperative for collaboration between the two agencies, he said: “NAFDAC’s mission of safeguarding public health by ensuring that only the right quality drugs, foods and other regulated products are manufactured, imported, distributed, advertised, sold and used in Nigeria, is

in tandem with NEMA’s mandate of disaster management coordination and building of national resilience.”

Responding, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Adeyeye, affirmed the readiness of her agency to collaborate with NEMA, especially to enhance the quality of supports given to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by insurgency and other related disasters in the country.