Nigeria: NEMA takes DRR and early warning to public service

In the quest of National Emergency Management Agency to achieve sustainable disaster management, a workshop was organised for senior officers of public service in Ibadan this week. It was poised to bridge the knowledge gap in the issue of disaster management and to embrace the new paradigm shift to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) among the members of the public service at the state level.

The Director-General of NEMA, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida (rtd) disclosed that the world is witnessing an increase in the number of man-made and natural disasters that constantly threaten lives and property. He said that disaster also disrupts socio-economic activities and leaves million of people in abject poverty. ”The need to have a holistic disaster management is the need for the shift that is DRR, which is gradually gaining recognition and commitment among the governments worldwide,’’ he said.

In a workshop titled “Mainstreaming Disaster Management in National Development Policies” targeted the senior officers in the public service on GL 12 and above in the states to become proactive emergency and disasters managers.

Audu-Bida, explained that the Nigeria’s DRR initiatives focus on implementing the Hyogo framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) which translates to mean the DRR centres on early warning systems, effective disaster preparedness and response mechanism among others. Therefore, for Nigeria not to play the second fiddle there is the need for the workshop to keep abreast of latest mechanism in disaster management.

He said effective management practices exist, where there is adequate space for the participation of different stakeholders as he captured which includes vulnerable communities, States, Civil Society organisations, volunteers and other development partners. He added that the entire idea was to have an interdisciplinary and inter-Agency participation, collaboration and strategic partnership through regular planning, capacity building, simulations, and training exercises to ensure preparedness and response in disaster management hence the workshop.

In his address, the Deputy Governor of Oyo State Alhaji (Dr) Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja, which was delivered by the Commissioner of Special Duties of the State, Dr. Lasisi Adedosu Balogun expressed his enthusiasm at the idea of the workshop and the caliber of people in attendance. He noted that this crop of officers will become agent of change in the collective bid to strengthen Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). He stated that everybody is vulnerable when it comes to disaster - that it is no respecter of class divide or social stratification.

It should be recalled that series of the exercise has been held in different locations and this is the sixth in its series and the last for the year 2009. It was a purposive exercise aimed at creating awareness on the issue of disaster and emergency management within the six geopolitical zones of the country for adequate preparedness, response, mitigation and control. This is as part of the effort of government to create a concerted awareness for its citizenry on the issue of emergency and disaster management in the country.

Segun Imohiosen
Head of Press and Public Relations
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