The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and stakeholders in disasters management say they are strategising on ways to avert disasters and reduce its impact when they occur.
NEMA North Central Zonal Coordinator Eugene Nyenlong said this at a strategic meeting in Jos on Tuesday.
He said that the was to monitor the level of preparedness of stakeholders in disaster management in Plateau.
Nyenlong said that emergencies might continue to occur and increase but the level of preparedness would help to prevent deaths and destruction of property.
“It, therefore, becomes important to prepare for disasters before they occur, and if it happens, there is need to react swiftly to it to reduce the loss of lives and property usually associated with it.
“Based on the principles of early warning, effective communication, this meeting is not only important but expedient in preparedness hence the need to maintain correspondences formally and informally.
“Whatever their origin may be, natural or human induced, they always live behind losses of lives and or property and cause so much destruction and hardships.
“The human and material losses have been on the increase in recent times because of rapid population growth and the increasing population of people in vulnerable areas of hazardous activities,” he said.
The zonal coordinator said that the major incidents of disasters such as farmers/herders clashes, ethno-religious crisis, perennial floods, and communal clashes, had caused collateral damage and losses to the people and widespread displacement.
He stated that even though emergencies/disasters were triggered by both the actions of man and nature, it was also true that some of these emergencies/disasters could be prevented or mitigated through preparedness.
According to him, the partnership and collaboration of stakeholders must be strengthened and sustained to proactively prepare for anticipated disasters to reduce losses and human suffering.
“It is based on this that NEMA North Central Zone is collating all necessary information/data on equipment holding for each organisation which may be mobilised for disaster response.
“We call on all stakeholders to lend their continued support to build a disaster resilient community,” he said.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Deputy Commandant in charge of Disaster Management, Mr Yakubu Moses, said that collaboration would help to mitigate the negative impact of disasters.
The Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Plateau Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Simon Walman, said that the stakeholders meeting would afford them an opportunity to assess their strengths and weaknesses.(NAN)
