The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with development partners in disaster risk reduction and climate resilience following a courtesy visit by officials of Save the Children to the Agency's headquarters in Calabar.
The meeting, which held on Thursday, July 2, 2026, brought together the Director General of SEMA, Mr. Efa Nyong, heads of departments and representatives of Save the Children to discuss areas of partnership under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) project.
Speaking during the visit, the Technical Advisor, WASH and Construction, Save the Children, Engr. Moses Daniel Tapwa, congratulated the Director General on his appointment and commended the strides recorded by the Agency under his leadership.
He explained that SEMA is one of the key stakeholders identified for the implementation of the Green Climate Fund project, an initiative designed to strengthen resilience in communities vulnerable to climate and health-related disasters.
According to him, the project will be implemented in Calabar South, Abi and Ogoja Local Government Areas, which were selected due to their vulnerability to climate-induced hazards.
Engr. Tapwa noted that the Green Climate Fund is a global financing mechanism established to support countries in mitigating the effects of climate change and improving resilience through government-led interventions.
He added that Nigeria has access to the fund and that the project is currently in its third phase, which involves stakeholder engagement and consultations to ensure successful implementation.
Responding, the Director General of SEMA, Mr. Efa Nyong, welcomed the delegation and described the visit as timely, stressing that emergency management agencies should always be involved at the early stages of projects relating to disaster preparedness and climate resilience.
Mr. Nyong stated that as the statutory agency responsible for disaster management in the state, SEMA possesses firsthand information and reliable data that would greatly enhance planning, implementation and response efforts.
He urged development partners to continually engage the Agency as a primary stakeholder in future interventions, noting that such collaboration would ensure more effective coordination and better outcomes for vulnerable communities.
Also speaking, the Head of Department, Disaster Risk Reduction, SEMA, Mr. Bright Usang, highlighted some of the challenges faced by the Agency in disaster data collection, particularly the limitations in technology and access to real-time information.
He expressed optimism that closer collaboration with Save the Children would strengthen the Agency's capacity through improved technical support, data management and the deployment of modern tools for disaster risk reduction.
Concluding the meeting, both organisations expressed their commitment to sustained collaboration towards strengthening disaster preparedness, climate resilience and humanitarian response across Cross River State.
By David Asu
