03/06/2026
Since 2006, Benue SEMA has existed for one reason, to protect every life in Benue State.
Established nearly two decades ago as the state's lead institution for emergency management and disaster response, Benue SEMA was built to be the agency that shows up when everything else is falling apart.
Under the leadership of Sir-James Aondoakaa Iorpuu, PhD, Benue SEMA has grown into one of Nigeria's most active sub-national emergency management institutions.
Today the agency manages 15 active IDP camps across Makurdi, Guma, Logo, and Gwer-West LGAs, serving over 60,000 displaced persons. Monthly distributions of food and non-food items reach IDPs, Cameroonian refugees, and persons with special needs, without fail. Early warning campaigns are being taken directly into flood-prone communities.
And partnerships with UNHCR Nigeria, NEMA, IOM, UNICEF, and the Nigerian Red Cross continue to deepen.
But beyond the operations, what Sir James has built is a culture. One that says no displaced person is invisible. No community warning goes undelivered. No family in this state faces a crisis alone.
Nearly 20 years in. The mandate has not changed. Neither has the commitment.
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