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Pandemic and Natural Disaster Response Plans Unveiled in Nigeria
ABUJA – Nigeria has reached a milestone in providing assistance to and protecting their citizens during pandemic and natural emergencies. Working with peers and experts from the U.S. Africa Command and other international partners, Nigerian officials came together in a special ceremony to unveil a grand national disaster response plan in Abuja.
Disaster preparedness requires leadership, experts, patience and planning. The goal is to produce written, complementary, codified plans that provide the roadmap for first responders and leaders at all levels from multiple organizations, so they know they are ready and able to help their country when disaster strikes.
“I seize this opportunity to appreciate the U.S. Government, the U.S. Africa Command and indeed all other partners for their enormous assistance in the realization of these national plans. These plans will provide Nigeria with a robust framework for pandemic and disaster response management. Indeed, today is historic and is a happy day for Nigeria,” said Professor C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Health (FMOH).
The grand plan, collectively and formally known as Nigeria’s National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan, the Armed Forces Pandemic Contingency Plan, and the Military Assistance to Civil Authorities Disaster Contingency Plan, was presented in a ceremony before an audience of more than 150 on November 14 in Abuja.
The ceremony attendees, also here to participate in a disaster response exercise, included civil and military experts from the Armed Forces of Nigeria, African partner nations Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda, the U.S. Africa Command, and senior officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense. As a testament Nigeria’s progress in disaster response preparedness, Liberia and Mozambique sent observers. Other experts who traveled to attend this high-profile event included representatives from the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).
“Managing severe pandemics is a shared priority for the United States and Nigeria,” declared Maria E. Brewer, who serves as the U.S. Embassy Abuja’s Deputy Chief of Mission. “Cooperation between nations, militaries and international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups is key to developing and maintaining disaster preparedness, so I am proud to be part of this event,” said Brewer, noting that over the last four years the United States has invested over $1.6 million as part of its commitment to this development effort.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Steven Hummer, Deputy Commander for Military Operations for U.S. AFRICOM, and the senior DoD official present at the ceremony, noted that Nigeria is a regional leader and an important partner to the United States. He congratulated Nigeria’s government and the armed forces for progress made to develop a national plan for pandemic and disaster situations and stressed the importance of collaboration between countries and government agencies in order to combat pandemic issues.
“Multinational and multiagency plans and exercises are critical to effectively respond to these kinds of complex emergencies which will not stop at borders. We know not when disasters will strike, but we have to be sure that when one does, our efforts will make a difference. The good news is Nigeria will be better prepared to respond in ways to protect the interests of the Nigerian nation and its people. These plans will help save lives, property and resources,” said Hummer.
Other notables participating in the ceremony from Nigeria were Mr. Muhammad Sani Sidi, who is the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Nurudeen Muhammad, Federal Minister Foreign Affairs (FMOFA), and Mr. Abdulrazak Salawu, Federal Minister of Defense (FMOD), who, along with Professor Chukwu, unveiled the plans.
Among U.S. government officials who attended with Lt. Gen. Hummer and Ms Brewer was Dr. Jonathan Woodson, who serves as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.
“The impact of unpreparedness goes beyond illness and death,” said Dr. Woodson. “If we fail to prepare for the event, it destabilizes national institutions, government and the economy with rippling second and third order effects.”
Woodson commended the efforts of the Nigerian government in developing a national response plan and noted the importance of working across agencies toward a common goal.
“It really represents a total commitment of the government in helping civil society to work together with the military to provide capability in the event that a disaster occurs, to mitigate what happens, to prepare and to be able to respond effectively,” said Woodson. “This represents the whole of government coming together in the right way.”
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise the plans
The ceremony also served as the kick-off point for a disaster preparedness training exercise which is sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command and is the result of a collaborative effort with the U.S. Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM).
A facilitator invited from Kenya to participate in the follow-on disaster preparedness exercise, retired Colonel Vincent Anami said the purpose of the plans is to enhance the capacity and capability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its government in the area of disaster management with an emphasis on pandemics.
“The initiative is U.S. AFRICOM’s in partnership with other countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Togo and Uganda,” Anami said. “This initiative is very important because pandemics are very mobile, and if it strikes, many will be affected.”
Erik Threet, AFRICOM’s Disaster Preparedness Program manager, stated that “the goal of the command’s Disaster Preparedness Program is to assist African nations in strengthening their capacities and capabilities to save lives and reduce human suffering during disasters.”
During the course of the exercise, which is scheduled to conclude November 22, participants will validate the Armed Forces of Nigeria Pandemic Contingency Plan and Military Assistance to Civil Authorities (MACA) Disaster Contingency Plan.
Participants will engage in a table-top exercise and develop a “5-Year Disaster Management Strategic Work Plan” for Nigeria.
This exercise to validate the new plans will assist in reviewing current capabilities and will also identify where the United States and Nigeria could further partner and collaborate to respond to complex emergency situations.
“As a regional leader, Nigeria’s capacity to respond to pandemics and other complex emergencies impacts the U.S. and regional interests,” said Hummer.
During their statements, the Nigerian top officials expressed their appreciation for the strategic partnership between the United States and Nigeria through AFRICOM and the assistance in developing extensive pandemic and disaster response plans for Nigeria.
“We appreciate the strong bilateral and international collaborations in these efforts,” Hummer said. “We look forward to expanding opportunities to work together, learn from each other and to build our combined capacity to deliver an effective and professional response that all citizens deserve.”
ABUJA – Nigeria has reached a milestone in providing assistance to and protecting their citizens during pandemic and natural emergencies. Working with peers and experts from the U.S. Africa Command and other international partners, Nigerian officials came together in a special ceremony to unveil a grand national disaster response plan in Abuja.
Disaster preparedness requires leadership, experts, patience and planning. The goal is to produce written, complementary, codified plans that provide the roadmap for first responders and leaders at all levels from multiple organizations, so they know they are ready and able to help their country when disaster strikes.
“I seize this opportunity to appreciate the U.S. Government, the U.S. Africa Command and indeed all other partners for their enormous assistance in the realization of these national plans. These plans will provide Nigeria with a robust framework for pandemic and disaster response management. Indeed, today is historic and is a happy day for Nigeria,” said Professor C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Health (FMOH).
The grand plan, collectively and formally known as Nigeria’s National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan, the Armed Forces Pandemic Contingency Plan, and the Military Assistance to Civil Authorities Disaster Contingency Plan, was presented in a ceremony before an audience of more than 150 on November 14 in Abuja.
The ceremony attendees, also here to participate in a disaster response exercise, included civil and military experts from the Armed Forces of Nigeria, African partner nations Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda, the U.S. Africa Command, and senior officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense. As a testament Nigeria’s progress in disaster response preparedness, Liberia and Mozambique sent observers. Other experts who traveled to attend this high-profile event included representatives from the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).
“Managing severe pandemics is a shared priority for the United States and Nigeria,” declared Maria E. Brewer, who serves as the U.S. Embassy Abuja’s Deputy Chief of Mission. “Cooperation between nations, militaries and international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other civil society groups is key to developing and maintaining disaster preparedness, so I am proud to be part of this event,” said Brewer, noting that over the last four years the United States has invested over $1.6 million as part of its commitment to this development effort.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Steven Hummer, Deputy Commander for Military Operations for U.S. AFRICOM, and the senior DoD official present at the ceremony, noted that Nigeria is a regional leader and an important partner to the United States. He congratulated Nigeria’s government and the armed forces for progress made to develop a national plan for pandemic and disaster situations and stressed the importance of collaboration between countries and government agencies in order to combat pandemic issues.
“Multinational and multiagency plans and exercises are critical to effectively respond to these kinds of complex emergencies which will not stop at borders. We know not when disasters will strike, but we have to be sure that when one does, our efforts will make a difference. The good news is Nigeria will be better prepared to respond in ways to protect the interests of the Nigerian nation and its people. These plans will help save lives, property and resources,” said Hummer.
Other notables participating in the ceremony from Nigeria were Mr. Muhammad Sani Sidi, who is the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Nurudeen Muhammad, Federal Minister Foreign Affairs (FMOFA), and Mr. Abdulrazak Salawu, Federal Minister of Defense (FMOD), who, along with Professor Chukwu, unveiled the plans.
Among U.S. government officials who attended with Lt. Gen. Hummer and Ms Brewer was Dr. Jonathan Woodson, who serves as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.
“The impact of unpreparedness goes beyond illness and death,” said Dr. Woodson. “If we fail to prepare for the event, it destabilizes national institutions, government and the economy with rippling second and third order effects.”
Woodson commended the efforts of the Nigerian government in developing a national response plan and noted the importance of working across agencies toward a common goal.
“It really represents a total commitment of the government in helping civil society to work together with the military to provide capability in the event that a disaster occurs, to mitigate what happens, to prepare and to be able to respond effectively,” said Woodson. “This represents the whole of government coming together in the right way.”
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise the plans
The ceremony also served as the kick-off point for a disaster preparedness training exercise which is sponsored by the U.S. Africa Command and is the result of a collaborative effort with the U.S. Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM).
A facilitator invited from Kenya to participate in the follow-on disaster preparedness exercise, retired Colonel Vincent Anami said the purpose of the plans is to enhance the capacity and capability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its government in the area of disaster management with an emphasis on pandemics.
“The initiative is U.S. AFRICOM’s in partnership with other countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Togo and Uganda,” Anami said. “This initiative is very important because pandemics are very mobile, and if it strikes, many will be affected.”
Erik Threet, AFRICOM’s Disaster Preparedness Program manager, stated that “the goal of the command’s Disaster Preparedness Program is to assist African nations in strengthening their capacities and capabilities to save lives and reduce human suffering during disasters.”
During the course of the exercise, which is scheduled to conclude November 22, participants will validate the Armed Forces of Nigeria Pandemic Contingency Plan and Military Assistance to Civil Authorities (MACA) Disaster Contingency Plan.
Participants will engage in a table-top exercise and develop a “5-Year Disaster Management Strategic Work Plan” for Nigeria.
This exercise to validate the new plans will assist in reviewing current capabilities and will also identify where the United States and Nigeria could further partner and collaborate to respond to complex emergency situations.
“As a regional leader, Nigeria’s capacity to respond to pandemics and other complex emergencies impacts the U.S. and regional interests,” said Hummer.
During their statements, the Nigerian top officials expressed their appreciation for the strategic partnership between the United States and Nigeria through AFRICOM and the assistance in developing extensive pandemic and disaster response plans for Nigeria.
“We appreciate the strong bilateral and international collaborations in these efforts,” Hummer said. “We look forward to expanding opportunities to work together, learn from each other and to build our combined capacity to deliver an effective and professional response that all citizens deserve.”
Former presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign over what he described as “failure in governance,” drawing comparisons with political accountability in other democracies following the resignation announcement of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Monday, Obi said he had followed Starmer’s resignation speech and reflected on what he described as the importance of leadership responsibility in democratic governance.
ALSO READ: UK PM Keir Starmer Resigns
“As a keen observer of global politics, my primary interest lies in examining what successful nations do right and the structural factors that cause others to lag or struggle with governance and development,” Obi said.
He noted that Starmer’s decision followed growing public dissatisfaction over economic challenges, rising cost of living, and unmet campaign promises in the United Kingdom.
Obi then drew parallels with Nigeria, recalling that before the 2015 general elections, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had repeatedly called on then-President Goodluck Jonathan to resign over insecurity.
“During the Chibok school kidnapping incident, he demanded the immediate resignation of President Jonathan, arguing that the government had failed in its most fundamental duty of protecting lives,” Obi stated.
He also referenced campaign promises made by Tinubu during the 2023 elections, including commitments to improve electricity supply, tackle corruption, and enhance the welfare of Nigerians.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made several promises, including improved electricity supply. He also challenged the electorate not to vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver on those commitments,” Obi said.
According to him, conditions in the country have since deteriorated, with persistent power shortages, worsening insecurity, and deepening economic hardship.
“At present, however, these conditions have worsened. Electricity supply remains unreliable, insecurity has intensified in many areas, including kidnappings, and economic hardship has deepened rather than eased,” he added.
Obi further argued that other sectors, including infrastructure, transportation, and anti-corruption efforts, had also suffered setbacks, insisting that Nigeria is currently in “the worst possible condition.”
The opposition figure therefore called on President Tinubu to step down, saying such a move would promote accountability in public office.
“I, therefore, join Nigerians of goodwill in calling for the resignation of the President over monumental failure in governance,” Obi said.
He added that resignation would help foster “a political culture rooted in accountability and responsibility” and reinforce the idea that “public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement,” stressing the need for what he called “a New Nigeria that is possible.”
Former Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Yobe State, promising to tackle insecurity and rebuild the state’s economy.
In a statement released Tuesday following a consultation meeting in the state, the retired police chief said his ambition is driven by a desire to restore peace, strengthen institutions, and accelerate development across all sectors.
Alkali pledged to “wipe out insurgency” and revive economic activities disrupted by years of insecurity, noting that his administration would prioritise intelligence-driven security and community partnerships.
“My vision for Yobe State is clear. I want a state where security is strengthened through intelligence and community partnership. I want a state where farmers can return to their farms with confidence, traders can move freely, and children can go to school without fear,” he said.
The former police boss emphasised his experience in national security management, stating that his years in public service have equipped him with the discipline and strategic thinking needed to govern effectively.
According to him, Yobe State requires leadership that understands security, institutional coordination, and human development, adding that insecurity has significantly hindered growth and deepened poverty in the region.
He also outlined plans to boost agriculture, expand infrastructure, and invest in education and youth empowerment. Alkali promised to provide microcredit support for women and equip young people with technical skills and startup kits to drive commerce and industry.
On healthcare, he pledged to combat child-killer diseases, including polio, and introduce free maternal healthcare services, as well as free medical care for children aged zero to five.
“Mothers will not die during childbirth, and children will live and thrive. They will go to school and graduate in a safe and secure environment,” he assured.
Alkali further stated that his administration would focus on inclusive governance, ensuring development reaches all local government areas without discrimination.
While expressing readiness to build on the achievements of the current administration, he maintained that governance must go beyond rhetoric and propaganda, stressing that it requires “vision, action, and the courage to make tough decisions.”
Bayern Munich have made a strong statement over the future of winger Michael Olise, with Vice-President Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisting the club would reject even a €200 million offer for the player.
The comments, reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on Monday, highlight Bayern’s long-standing policy of prioritising sporting stability over financial gain.
SEE ALSO: BREAKING: Chelsea Hit With £10.75m Fine, Transfer Ban
Rummenigge explained that the club’s position is rooted in a historic decision made in 2009, when Bayern received a massive bid from Chelsea for Franck Ribéry.
After internal discussions involving then CFO Karl Hopfner and former president Uli Hoeneß, the club chose to reject the offer — a decision that shaped its modern transfer philosophy.
According to him, that principle remains unchanged today.
He stressed that Bayern do not consider selling players who are essential to the team, adding that even a record-breaking €200 million bid would not change their stance on Olise.
The statement is expected to fuel further transfer speculation across Europe, but Bayern officials maintain that Olise is a key part of their long-term sporting project and not for sale.
Bayern Munich continue to uphold their “untouchable players” policy, while Michael Olise remains central to their squad plans.
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