* Pledges stronger disaster awareness culture
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced winners of its 2026 National Essay Competition, recognising 30 students and corps members for essays on disaster risk reduction, climate change and technology in emergency response.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, unveiled the winners on Thursday at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja during the recognition ceremony.
Umar, who was represented by the director in charge of Internal Audit, Aliyu Waziri, said the competition was organised as part of NEMA’s commitment to strengthening disaster awareness, emergency preparedness and resilience among young Nigerians.
She noted that the agency received an exceptional volume of entries nationwide, which extended the assessment period.
“We considered it important that speed should not take precedence over credibility. Every eligible entry passed through a painstaking assessment, validation and corroboration process designed to ensure fairness, transparency and merit,” she said.
The DG congratulated all winners and participants, stating that: “Every young person who researched Disaster Risk Reduction has become better equipped to contribute to a safer and more resilient Nigeria.
“Emergency management must increasingly become a culture rather than an activity undertaken only when disaster strikes. Through these young voices, we see encouraging evidence that a new generation of disaster-conscious Nigerians is emerging.”
In his speech, the Consultant of the initiative, Hakeem Bello, said the competition was conceived to strengthen emergency preparedness, disaster awareness and resilience among young Nigerians.
He noted that the agency received a remarkable number of entries, which made the assessment process painstaking and methodical.
Bello commended the Internal Assessment Panel, Oversight Committee, and External Lead Assessor for ensuring credibility and transparency in the screening and ranking of submissions.
According to him, the three essay topics reflected NEMA’s mandate.
Secondary school students wrote on ‘My Role in Disaster Risk Reduction’, tertiary students on ‘Climate Change and Disaster Management in Nigeria’, while the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards examined ‘Technology for Disaster Response: Opportunities and Challenges’.
Bello congratulated winners who received cash prizes, plaques and certificates, and applauded all finalists and participants.
“The ultimate value of this competition is not merely in identifying winners, but in building a generation that understands that disaster management begins before disaster strikes with awareness, prevention, preparedness and shared responsibility,” he said.