Mr Aliou Dia, the Head of the UN Team on National Disaster Risk Reduction Capacity Assessment in Nigeria, has called for improved coordination between the national and state emergency management agencies in the country.
Dia made the call in Abuja on Friday during a debriefing of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the team’s findings.
He said there was need for better synergy between NEMA and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
“There is no connection between what NEMA is doing and what the states are doing. There is need for stakeholders in disaster management to come together and strengthen Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Nigeria.’’
Dia also stressed the need for DRR awareness at all levels of government, especially in key ministries, state and local authorities with dedicated budget to risk reduction.
He called for better funding by government and development partners and the setting up of disaster observatory unit under NEMA.
He said that Nigeria had many policies which could serve as platform for disaster risk reduction in the country.
The team leader, who commended Nigeria for the structure put in place to prevent disaster in the country, however, urged for greater awareness campaigns on disaster management.
Earlier, NEMA’s Director General, Mr Mohammad Sani-Sidi, had commended the team for its interest to make the country disaster-free.
Represented by the agency’s Director of Training, Mrs Clementina Asueni , Sani-Sidi said the team had visited four states and the FCT.
He said the team met with NEMA zonal managers, SEMA officials, traditional rulers, as well as federal and state government officials on the need to improve diasater management awareness in the country.