NEMA Seeks Increases in Funding to Tackle Rising Disasters, Decries Poor Releases, Obsolete Equipment Before Senate
By Fatima Saka
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has raised concerns over severe funding constraints, dilapidated rescue infrastructure and obsolete equipment while defending the agency’s 2026 budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Special Duties.
Mrs. Umar appeared on Tuesday before the committee, chaired by Senator Kaka Shehu Lawal, as part of the 2026 budget project defence by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.
Setting the tone for the session, Senator Lawal recalled that the 2026 Appropriation Bill was presented to a joint sitting of the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in December 2025, after which it was debated and referred to relevant committees for detailed legislative scrutiny.
He explained that the meeting was convened to appraise NEMA’s performance in the previous fiscal year and identify priority areas for intervention in 2026, noting that lawmakers were fully aware of the funding challenges faced by MDAs in the 2024 and 2025 budget cycles.
“We know the challenges. We are Nigerians, we are Senators, and we know what happened. So go straight to the point, tell us your challenges, areas of intervention, lay your budget proposal and let us conclude this defence,” the chairman said.
In her presentation, the NEMA Director-General disclosed that although ₦2.4 billion was initially appropriated for the agency, only ₦734 million was eventually released, significantly affecting its operational capacity.
She said inadequate budgetary allocation remains NEMA’s most pressing challenge, adding that many of the agency’s emergency rescue ambulance bases are in poor condition, while critical rescue equipment has become obsolete and overdue for replacement.
Mrs. Umar also pointed out that NEMA is often compelled to step in at state level during emergencies, assuming responsibilities that could ordinarily be handled by state governments, thereby stretching the agency’s already limited resources.
“Almost everything comes back to funding issues. The pressure on our resources is enormous, especially with the increasing scale of disasters across the country,” she said.
Members of the committee commended the NEMA leadership for its commitment despite the constraints and called for increased budgetary support to enable the agency respond effectively to disasters, refugee situations and the growing number of internally displaced persons across Nigeria.
One of the senators described it as “unreasonable” for an agency with such critical national responsibilities to be underfunded, stressing that NEMA requires enhanced financial backing to meet the realities of emergencies nationwide.
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Several lawmakers, including newly introduced members of the committee, praised Mrs. Umar’s performance and expressed confidence in her leadership, assuring the agency of the Senate’s support.
At the end of the brief session, the committee directed the NEMA Director-General to formally lay her budget documents, after which she was excused, with senators unanimously acknowledging the agency’s challenges and the need for improved funding in the 2026 fiscal year.
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