NEMA Urges Traders To Insure Their Businesses and Wares (Nigeria)

By Agency reporter
National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria has urged traders and farmers to take insurance policies to enable them receive compensations after losses.
A statement signed by the Head, Public Relations, NEMA, Yushau Shuaib, noted that this became imperative as a result of incessant rates of destruction to businesses in Nigeria due to natural and man-induced disasters.
The Director-General, NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, was quoted as



making the call amid misconception over the mandate of the agency in the provision of relief materials, which some believed, should also include compensations to victims of disasters.
Speaking during a presentation of relief materials to the owners of affected building from an explosion that occurred in Ori-Apata area of Kaduna Nigeria, where he was represented by the Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, Mr. Edward Maigida, he reiterated the agency’s commitment to mitigating the effects of disasters in the country through various means.
Sani-Sidi said, “Victims need to realize that the agency is not a compensation institution in Nigeria but only gives some palliatives to cushion the effect of the disaster as interim measures.
“But we believe an insurance cover could go a long way to resuscitate livelihood.”
He expressed worry that it was more alarming to see that traders failed to insure their wares and properties.
According to him, the best strategy for recovery is insurance cover as traders can get back to business after calamity.
He noted that it was the responsibility of the traders to get their properties insured, by which they could receive claims to restore their business structure, instead of relying on government for compensation.
He, therefore, urged traders irrespective of their business ventures in Nigeria to take insurance premium as a means of cover in case they lost their properties or goods and services as a result of disaster rather than expecting compensation from the government of Nigeria.
Source: Punch: Newspapers Nigeria