Between Policy Goals and Actual Outcome: An Assessment of the National Disaster Management Framework in Nigeria, 2010-2020

In Nigeria, research on disaster management has witnessed tremendous attention in recent years. However, no known study has directly assessed the country’s main disaster management policy framework. Introduced in 2010 to replace the National Disaster Response Plan, the National Disaster Management Framework (NDMF) represents Nigeria’s attempt to depart from a response-driven system to a proactive and comprehensive one within its federal political structure having three levels of government. In assessing the Framework, two sets of criteria were used. The first is in line with its pre-determined goals while the second set was drawn from the ecological context of the Framework. Data for the study were generated from both primary and secondary sources. In-depth interviews were conducted with two senior officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); and General Managers of the State Emergency Management Agency of Oyo, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, and Ogun States. Besides, the NDMF and other secondary materials were read and critically reviewed to generate secondary data. Findings show that despite over a decade since its introduction, the NDMF has not been able to engender the realization of a holistic disaster management system in the country. Rather, it generated rivalry among government agencies assigned to manage disasters. The perceived alienation of many stakeholders especially at the State level in its formulation process; poor funding and lack of political will to execute the provisions of the Framework are notable causes. Knowing the importance of a policy framework in actualizing the goals of disaster management, the paper recommends that stakeholders in the country, especially those at the state and local government levels should be repositioned to play more active roles in the operationalization and implementation of the NDMF.