Shettima hails Starlink donation to boost emergency response in Nigeria

Vice President Kashim Shettima has commended the donation of specialised satellite communication equipment by Starlink, a SpaceX satellite internet service, to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), saying it will significantly strengthen Nigeria’s disaster response capacity.

Shettima gave the commendation on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a courtesy visit by a delegation from NEMA and Starlink led by the Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar.

He said the partnership with Starlink would improve coordination and response times during emergencies, particularly in flood-prone and hard-to-reach areas across the country.

“Communication is the essence of humanity, and during emergencies and flood disasters, partnerships like this with Starlink can come in handy,” the Vice President said.

He assured that the donated equipment would be effectively deployed and utilised by NEMA staff at designated stations nationwide to enhance emergency interventions.

Earlier, the NEMA Director-General said the donation includes 91 standard and mini satellite communication kits designed to improve connectivity in underserved and remote locations where emergency response is often delayed due to poor infrastructure.

She said the equipment would be deployed to 50 identified flashpoints across the country, while the agency’s command-and-control centre would also be upgraded to strengthen coordination during disasters.

“This support will significantly address critical communication challenges faced in managing emergencies in hard-to-reach areas,” she said.