Nigeria Hosts Top UN Disaster Managers

The significant progress that Nigeria has recorded in the area of disaster management and disaster risk reduction has gained global attention as two prominent United Nations disaster managers are scheduled to visit the country next week. The visits will be to commend the Federal Government for these efforts and advocate for more support from the highest political leadership.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) for International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom and the UN Under Secretary –General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (UNOCHA), Baroness Valerie Amos will both be hosted by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which is Nigeria’s focal agency for disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Ms Wahlstrom who will be around between Monday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 12, is leading a strong advocacy for disaster risk reduction strategy aiming at reducing the risk of natural, human induced and technological hazards in the country; advocate for political support and institutional recognition of disaster risk reduction as vital component of the development agenda and also to further develop and build an effective and formidable structure for the operationalisation of strategies for disaster risk management in the country.
The SRSG will hold series of meetings with senior government officials including Vice President Muhammad Namadi Sambo, members of the academia, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations and the media with a special focus on land use planning and development control and making cities resilient.
Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom was appointed the first Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) in November 2008 by UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
For Valerie Amos, her visit is obviously concerning the humanitarian issues resulting from the recent incidences of naturally induced disasters and conflicts experienced in certain parts of the country.
The UNOCHA was formed in December 1991 by General Assembly Resolution 46/182.[1] designed to strengthen the UN’s response to complex emergencies and natural disasters by creating the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA), and replacing the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator, which had been formed in 1972.