NEMA, BCDA Partner To Deploy Technology For Border Security, Disaster Response

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has partnered with the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to strengthen border security, enhance disaster early-warning systems, and improve emergency response capacity across Nigeria’s frontier communities through the use of advanced technology.

According to a post via NEMA’s X (formerly Twitter) page on Thursday, the collaboration will enable both agencies to harness innovation and data-driven tools to tackle border challenges such as smuggling, insecurity, climate risks, and cross-border health threats.

According to NEMA, a meeting held at its headquarters in Abuja brought together NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, the Executive Secretary of BCDA, Dr. George Alabo Kelly, and a delegation from Beijing Global Safety Technology Company Ltd (G-Safety).

Speaking at the meeting, NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, described border communities as “critically important” to national stability and development, stressing the need to fuse disaster management with technological innovation.

Umar said, “Our border communities are critically important to Nigeria’s safety, stability, and development. This partnership provides an opportunity to integrate technology with our operational expertise to enhance early warning, data sharing, and the capacity of first responders.”

She reiterated NEMA’s commitment to exploring pilot projects that would utilize modern tools for real-time disaster monitoring, predictive analytics, and improved coordination between national and sub-national emergency response systems.

“We are ready to explore pilot programs that combine field experience with digital tools for better situational awareness and faster intervention. Equally, we must continue empowering State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and local responders to act swiftly when crises occur ,” she added

On his part, BCDA’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Kelly, emphasised that Nigeria’s border areas serve as the nation’s “first line of defence,” while highlighting the urgency of investing in infrastructure and community resilience.

Kelly said, “BCDA’s mandate covers the frontier communities that stand as Nigeria’s gateway to the world. What we are doing with NEMA today is laying the foundation for integrated interventions — combining infrastructure, intelligence, and social development — to strengthen our borders and the lives of the people who live there.”

Also, Dr. Maolei Zhang, Managing Director of G-Safety, shared the company’s global experience in deploying large-scale national emergency management solutions, including control-room technologies, sensor networks, and advanced forecasting systems.

Zhang said, “We have successfully worked with several countries in building early-warning systems and safety technology academies. Nigeria has a unique opportunity to adapt such systems to its environment, and we look forward to deepening knowledge exchange and capacity building with NEMA and BCDA.”