Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has returned to classroom during which time she taught the pupils of the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Durumi, Abuja, the art of safety around them.
Her interactive session with the pupils on disaster prevention and safety awareness yesterday, April 30, according to a statement by the spokesperson of NEMA, Ezekiel Manzo, is part of the ongoing efforts to promote disaster risk reduction education among young Nigerians and build a culture of safety from an early age.
Manzo quoted Mrs. Zubaida Umar as stressing the importance of basic safety habits and simple disaster mitigation measures that children can adopt both at home and in school.
“She taught the pupils practical steps to reduce risks associated with common emergencies such as fire outbreaks, flooding, and unsafe play environments.
“The Director General encouraged them to be safety conscious, remain alert to potential dangers in their surroundings, and promptly report hazards to teachers, parents, or other responsible adults.”
He said that Mrs. Zubaida Umar told the pupils that disaster risk reduction is not only the responsibility of emergency responders, but a shared duty that begins with awareness, preparedness, and responsible behaviour at the community level.
She noted that introducing children to disaster preparedness concepts at an early stage is essential to building safer and more resilient communities.
Manzo said that the interactive session also featured a question and answer segment during which the pupils were provided with useful information to deepen their understanding of disasters and the important roles they can play in promoting safety within their homes, schools, and communities.
According to him, the school visit underscores NEMA’s broader strategy of taking disaster risk reduction education beyond formal institutions and into communities, schools, and households across the country as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national resilience.
