—We’re strengthening state, native emergency administration companies via coaching, expertise –VP Shettima
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — THE Federal Authorities on Monday, hinted that it’s contemplating empowering flood-prone communities to handle their very own security as a part of measures aimed toward addressing the rising menace of flood-related disasters nationwide.
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, who disclosed this, in Abuja in the course of the 2025 Worldwide Day for Catastrophe Threat Discount, IDDRR, mentioned no quantity of preparedness will produce tangible outcomes if communities should not empowered to take cost of their security.
Senator Shettima famous that whereas resilience can’t be assured by authorities alone, it’s mirrored in how cities are deliberate, how companies shield their employees, and the way communities share info and look out for one another.
Accordingly, he demanded sturdy partnership with the personal sector, saying the sector “should see itself as a associate in prevention, embedding threat discount into company planning and funding choices.”
Stressing the necessity to empower communities to handle their very own security, he mentioned, “Our academia and analysis establishments additionally bear the accountability of serving to us generate the info, innovation, and sensible analysis we have to put together for a safer future.
“We depend on them to form the data that guides our choices. And we count on our civil society to carry us accountable, to boost consciousness, and to mobilise residents across the shared accountability of preparedness.
“However none of those efforts will yield outcomes except we empower and help our communities to take possession of their security. They’re the inspiration of no matter technique we undertake and the heartbeat of our nationwide resilience.”
The Vice President applauded the theme of the 2025 Worldwide Day for IDDRR, “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” saying it speaks to an typically neglected reality that “it’s far wiser, far cheaper, and much more humane to arrange for disasters earlier than they strike than to rebuild after they destroy.
“Each naira we spend immediately on preparedness saves many extra tomorrow on response and restoration. Each funding in resilience is, in reality, an funding within the lives and futures of our individuals,” he added.
VP Shettima, nonetheless, identified that dedication alone isn’t sufficient. “We should match our phrases with motion and our insurance policies with funding,” he acknowledged.
To fund resilience, the VP recognized sure precedence areas to spend money on, together with “drainage techniques, not reduction camps; to construct stronger faculties and hospitals, not non permanent shelters; to help farmers with climate-smart instruments, not simply meals assist after floods; and to coach and equip our first responders earlier than the sirens begin to wail.”
In accordance with him, that is the shift required to maneuver “from reacting to crises to anticipating and stopping them.”
Senator Shettima defined that following President Tinubu’s emphasis on the ‘have to deal with resilience as a nationwide coverage,” the federal government is “integrating catastrophe threat discount into each sector—from agriculture and infrastructure to training and well being—whereas increasing early warning techniques to make sure that communities obtain well timed alerts earlier than floods, droughts, or illness outbreaks happen.
“We’re strengthening state and native emergency administration companies via coaching, expertise, and coordination help. We’re creating a Nationwide Catastrophe Threat Financing Framework to ensure that funding for prevention and preparedness is offered when and the place it’s wanted.
“And we’re deepening partnerships with improvement companions, the personal sector, and analysis establishments to drive innovation and resilience constructing in any respect ranges.”
Earlier, the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, recommended the dedication of stakeholders led by the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company (NEMA), to strengthening Nigeria’s catastrophe administration framework via the launch of the 5-year strategic plan.
Giving an summary of the Zamfara State emergency administration framework, the governor referred to as on stakeholders to deepen collaboration in constructing a safer and extra resilient nation, whereas proposing the adoption of a Public Non-public Partnership mannequin in funding catastrophe administration in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Discount, Hon. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, mentioned Nigeria, like different nations, has suffered from pure and human disasters, necessitating the present stakeholders’ assembly aimed toward creating a complete strategy to addressing these disasters.
He emphasised the necessity to diversify the nation’s funding sources whereas reviewing Nigeria’s strategic framework to raised attain underserved communities.
For her half, the Director Common of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, mentioned the commemoration of the 2025 Worldwide Day for Catastrophe Threat Discount represents a defining second in Nigeria’s nationwide dedication to constructing resilience and demanding for a extra proactive and higher financed catastrophe resilience framework.
She added that conversations on the occasion will assist in galvanising help for revolutionary financing that may maintain threat discount efforts on scale and type the core of NEMA’s plans in the direction of strengthening Nigeria’s resilience structure.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Particular Duties, Sen. Kaka Shehu Lawan, recommended the DG of NEMA for organizing the well timed stakeholders’ occasion and guaranteed that the Nationwide Meeting will proceed to work with NEMA by creating an enabling surroundings for its environment friendly operations.
In the identical vein, Chairman of the Home of Representatives Committee on Catastrophe Administration, Hon. Joseph Bassey, pledged the Nationwide Meeting’s help for NEMA, notably the efforts to amend the NEMA Act to make the company more practical.
In a keynote tackle, the Nation Director of Plan Worldwide Nigeria, Dr Charles Usie, underscored the importance of adopting and deploying a world framework for catastrophe threat discount in Nigeria.
He really useful elevated transparency; improved knowledge assortment and administration; improved coordination, and a spotlight on early warning techniques, amongst others, with the intention to rework NEMA’s mandate and focus as a contemporary catastrophe administration company.
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