Staying Ahead of Disaster: How Muktar Atima is Transforming Emergency Management in Kogi State
By Abu Micheal
In disaster management, every second counts. For Alhaji Muktar Atima, Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the responsibility extends far beyond responding to emergencies. His mission is to anticipate disasters, prepare communities, and ensure that lives and livelihoods are protected before tragedy strikes.
Since assuming office, Atima has reshaped the operational culture of Kogi SEMA, replacing reactive measures with a proactive strategy centered on preparedness, rapid intervention, and community resilience. Widely regarded as a dedicated public servant with a passion for humanitarian service, he has brought discipline, innovation, and unwavering commitment to an agency tasked with safeguarding vulnerable communities.
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The statutory mandate of SEMA includes disaster preparedness, mitigation, emergency response, rehabilitation, and recovery. This encompasses issuing early warnings, coordinating evacuations, managing Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, distributing relief materials, and collaborating with communities and relevant agencies to minimize the impact of disasters.
For Kogi State, located at the confluence of the Rivers Niger and Benue and consistently ranked among Nigeria’s most flood-prone states, these responsibilities are especially critical.
Proactive Disaster Management
Under Atima’s leadership, Kogi SEMA has embraced a preventive approach to disaster management.
Ahead of the 2024 and 2025 rainy seasons, the agency renovated 42 IDP camps across nine flood-prone local government areas and activated 18 camps during the 2024 flooding. It also procured speedboats and life jackets to strengthen evacuation efforts, while deploying medical personnel and fumigation teams to prevent disease outbreaks in displaced communities.
To further improve emergency coordination, SEMA established an Emergency Operations Centre, enabling faster communication and more effective disaster response.
Rapid Response in Times of Crisis
When floodwaters submerged five communities in Ibaji Local Government Area, including Ota, Ofogbo, and Itima, Atima personally led assessment teams to the affected riverine communities, urging residents to relocate to safer areas as water levels continued to rise.
Similarly, following the devastating flash flood in Owara, Lokoja, which destroyed homes and farmlands, he supervised the profiling of approximately 660 affected residents, assuring victims of prompt government intervention and humanitarian assistance.
These swift responses underscored SEMA’s growing capacity to respond effectively to emergencies.
Collaboration That Saves Lives
Recognizing that disaster management requires collective action, Atima strengthened collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Kogi State Ministry of Health, traditional rulers, youth organizations, religious leaders, and local communities.
The coordinated approach produced remarkable results. According to state authorities, Kogi recorded zero flood-related casualties during the 2024 flooding, a milestone credited to early sensitization campaigns, timely evacuations, and improved preparedness.
Leadership Driven by Compassion
Atima attributes much of the agency’s success to the support and leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, whom he describes as a compassionate leader committed to protecting the welfare of Kogi residents.
Observers, however, also credit Atima’s own hands-on leadership style, meticulous planning, and tireless field engagement for raising the standard of emergency management across the state.
Rather than treating disaster response as a routine government obligation, he approaches every intervention as a humanitarian mission requiring urgency, empathy, and professionalism.
Preparing for the 2026 Flood Season
As forecasts point to another challenging rainy season, Atima has intensified stakeholder engagements and public awareness campaigns across vulnerable communities.
He has also advocated long-term flood control measures, including the construction of a dam at Shintaku in Lokoja, which experts believe could significantly reduce river overflow and recurring flooding.
In preparation for potential
Emergencies, the state government has maintained a functional IDP camp while stocking relief warehouses with essential food items, medical supplies, and other emergency materials.
Building Institutional Capacity
Understanding that effective disaster management depends on skilled personnel, Atima has prioritized continuous training and retraining of SEMA staff through partnerships with NEMA and other emergency management institutions.
The capacity-building initiative is designed to equip emergency responders with modern disaster response techniques, ensuring they remain prepared for future challenges.
A New Standard for Emergency Management
For Alhaji Muktar Atima, disaster management is not about waiting for emergencies to occur—it is about staying ahead of them.
Through proactive planning, strategic partnerships, community engagement, and compassionate leadership, he has repositioned the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency as a model of preparedness and effective humanitarian response.
As Kogi continues to confront the realities of climate-related disasters, Atima’s leadership offers renewed confidence that when emergencies arise, the state’s disaster management system is better equipped to protect lives, reduce suffering, and respond with speed and efficiency.