Nema Conducts Refresher Training on Urban Search and Rescue for Staff and Critical Stakeholders Nation Wide

Nema Conducts Refresher Training on Urban Search and Rescue for Staff and Critical Stakeholders Nation Wide

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced a nationwide Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) refresher training for its staff, aimed at strengthening the Agency’s readiness to respond to floods and other emergencies requiring search, rescue and evacuation operations.

The training, held simultaneously across NEMA’s zonal offices on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, is anchored on the National Policy on Search and Rescue and focuses particularly on equipping personnel with practical skills for rescuing and safely evacuating persons from flood waters.

In Abuja, the training brought together staff and critical stakeholders for sessions covering search and rescue preparedness, safety concerns during rescue operations and evacuation in flood waters.

The exercise, coordinated by the Department of Search and Rescue, is designed to strengthen NEMA’s operational readiness in response to the increasing flood incidents being experienced across the country, with particular attention to the risks associated with drowning and the challenges of evacuating people from flooded communities.

Participants were taken through practical approaches to flood-water rescue, with emphasis on the safety of both responders and affected persons. The training highlighted the proper use of life jackets and other essential safety measures during evacuation, recognising that rescue operations must not expose responders or victims to additional risks.

The programme also examined general safety considerations for waterways during evacuation, including the need for situational awareness, proper assessment of risks and adherence to established procedures when moving affected persons through or around flood waters.

A practical demonstration and interactive session formed part of the training, allowing participants to apply lessons from the technical sessions while sharing experiences and discussing challenges encountered during previous emergency response operations.

The nationwide exercise also underscores the importance of maintaining a skilled and prepared emergency management workforce capable of responding quickly and safely when disasters occur, particularly as flooding continues to pose significant risks to communities across the country.

The training forms part of NEMA’s efforts to strengthen its search and rescue capacity and ensure that its personnel remain operationally prepared to protect lives, support timely evacuation and provide effective response during flood emergencies.

30th September, 2026