Nigeria’s Red Cross consolidates efforts with federal government on pre-disaster preparedness

NIGERIA – The Nigerian Red Cross Society, has held a pre-disaster consultative meeting with different Federal ministries and departments, to develop better coordination and management of disasters in Nigeria.

The pre-disaster consultative meeting came up with a communique that would advise on the formation of a technical committee to look at how best to coordinate and manage disasters in Nigeria in unison.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society noted that disasters in the country often strike without warning and in the past the response to them has often been uncoordinated with several agencies duplicating each other’s functions in an unproductive manner.

Ambitiously, the new technical committee will amply gather and review all existing regulations and legal frameworks for handling disasters at National and subnational levels.

Moreover, the technical committee will also review all relevant ways and means of handling disasters and merge them all into a single document

According to the Secretary General of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Abbakar Kende, “We as a National Society are seeking to strengthen our role as an auxiliary to the Nigerian government.”

Kende added that NRC was seeking to enhance coordination as the organization and its partners, chiefly the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), collaborate with the various government agencies in the course of disaster response activities.

Present at the Pre-Disaster Consultative Forum were the National Emergency Management Agency, Ministries of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Health.

Activities to improve disaster management and coordination in Nigeria

Considerable efforts are been made to improve disaster and relief coordination and management in Nigeria at both a Federal and State level.

In July, the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA to enhance emergency management and safety during disasters in the state.

The MoU was signed at the LASEMA control center, Alausa Ikeja, led by the NSIB Director General, DG, Mr. Akin Olateru, and LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu in the company of key top officials of both agencies.

Meanwhile, NSIB concluded plans to organize a two-week capacity-building training for LASEMA staff aimed at enhancing efficiency and proper coordination during emergency operations.

Olateru, said the idea for the partnership was mooted earlier in the year, specifically, in March 2023, following the bus and train accident in Ikeja.

He, however, commended LASEMA for its swift response to boost safety and security in Lagos.

According to Olateru, “the MoU would ensure capacity building, training and exchange of ideas between NSIB and LASEMA.

Oleture emphasized that there was a need for synergy for enhanced performance and proper documentation. It will also eliminate conflicting reports.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) North Central Zonal office in Jos today 3rd August 2023 organized a ‘One Day workshop on Community Involvement and Resilient Building During and after Flooding’ in Jos.

This followed the annual flood outlook by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the 2023 seasonal climate Prediction by the Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET).

The report demarcated Local Government Areas in the North Central states at high probable risk, and therefore it was of importance that all hands must be on deck in order to proffer mitigation measures.

Through active engagement and collaboration among community members, Local authorities, and other stakeholders all members of the community would come together and pull their expertise, resources, and Ideas, to respond effectively to the impending floods.