NEMA develops policy to tackle recurring boat accidents, other natural disasters

NEMA develops policy to tackle recurring boat accidents, other natural disasters

The National Emergency Management Agency has expressed its readiness to draft a seven-year national disaster risk reduction strategy.

The federal agency said this is meant to reduce cases of flooding, boat accidents, kidnapping, banditry, and other disasters in the country.

The agency, in collaboration with United Nation Development Programmme (UNDP) and other stakeholders, are expected to come up with a national strategy for reducing disasters in the land.

NEMA’s Director General Mustapha Ahmed announced this at a stakeholders’ meeting for the development of Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023-2030) yesterday in Abuja.

The agency boss explained that the increasing cases of disasters prompted the development of the strategy.

He also said the agency planned to move from distribution of relief materials to reducing disasters to minimum.

Harping on the need for the strategy, Ahmed said: “The recent escalation and growing frequency and severity of disasters in the form of banditry, boat mishaps, building collapse, urban and market fires coupled with hydro-meteorological hazards powered by climate change and climate variability have ignited the compelling desire to develop the Nigeria Disaster Risk Management Plan.

“This is in consideration of the high level of vulnerability and fragility of the countries covered by the Sahel Resilience Project within Africa South of the Sahara. It is on record that the high level of vulnerability of these countries is driven by fragile economies, environmental degradation, extreme weather conditions, low levels of income, and insecurity posed by terrorism and political volatility.

“There is no doubt that working together with multiple development actors under the Sahel Resilience Project will help the countries of the region to collectively improve their resilience in consideration of the trans-boundary nature of disaster events.

“For us in Nigeria, the Sahel Resilience Project is expected to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, especially in the areas of poverty eradication, food security and inclusivity.”

He added: “There is an ongoing evaluation of the 2023 flood season by NEMA and efforts to address recurring boat mishaps, building collapse, urban and market fires, which have become dominant in Nigeria’s disaster risk profile and have resulted in the loss of several lives.”

“When we have a plan, we will have a direction. So, the plan is about mitigation to reduce disasters to the barest minimum in Nigeria and our target is to move away from the distribution of relief items to reduce disasters to the minimum.

“To achieve our goal, we must have a national plan. That is why NEMA, UNDP, and other stakeholders are here to draft that strategy.”

Also, the UNDP Sahel Resilience Project Manager in Nigeria, Dr. Reshmi Theckethil, said disasters have led to extreme poverty in the country.

According to her, almost half of Nigeria’s population is poor due to different forms of disaster.

She said: “Today, almost half of Nigeria’s population, or 91 million people, face multidimensional poverty. Communities are being impacted by environmental and health hazards, like droughts, floods, epidemics, and man-made disasters, such as oil spills and terrorism.

“Challenges from rapid population growth, urbanisation, and socio-political issues often contribute to conflicts, violence, and increased insecurity.

“Throughout the years, Nigeria has experienced 440 disasters with several catastrophic floods leading to tragic loss of lives and economic loss. These disasters not only damage property but disrupt crucial infrastructure and increase the risk of diseases, like cholera, diarrhoea, and malaria.

“The financial aftermath of floods in 2012 and 2022 is staggering, amounting to billions of dollars, affecting some 12 million people.”

On the need to have a national strategy, Theckethil said: “It is clear that sound disaster risk management at all levels – from national to local – is key to building the resilience of communities and economies to these shocks.

“The vision is to create a resilient, disaster-ready Nigeria. We need organisational culture change, political commitment, motivation, and financial backing. A strategic guidance framework, sectoral and intersectoral coordination, and participation from all actors are also essential.”

She added: “A successful disaster risk reduction strategy with clear goals will allow the government and all stakeholders to articulate their intentions and actions in a coherent and coordinated manner to protect the population against current and future disaster risks.”