Disaster risk reduction: LASEMA mulls establishment of Trust Fund

In order to efficiently muster the required capital for effective disaster risk reduction in the state, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has mapped out strategies for the formation of a Trust Fund.

The Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Okufemi Oke – Osayintolu, disclosed this during the Annual Staff Retreat themed:”Promoting Sustainable Development through Disaster Risk Reduction” organised by the agency.

According to him, the establishment of the trust fund has become imperative for effective and appropriate preparedness for disaster prevention and management, since the budget of the state cannot carry the enormous requirements.

He hinted the state executives had already approved the formation, explaining that the next stage is the engagement of operators in the private and public sectors for safety of lives and properties.

“Exco has approved it. We are putting work into it. That’s why we have technical groups in all the 57 local government areas. We are going to pass it to the State House of Assembly,” the permanent secretary said.

Meanwhile, the personnel of LASEMA have been urged to embrace collaboration and teamwork in order to achieve effective and efficient disaster risk reduction across the state.

According to the Commissioner, Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr Olugbenga Oyerinde, more emphasis should be place on communication, coordination, collaboration and cooperation moving forward in year 2024.

The commissioner, while giving the appeal during the Annual  Staff Retreat, urged them to focus more on the latest information communication technology ICT to combat flood, storms and input it to infrastructure designs computational methods and models to tackle earthquake or volcanic eruptions.

This, he said, would definitely enhance performance in disaster risk reduction, noting that effective communication is a strong determinant in all sectors of organizations.

According to him, there was a need for effective coordination of LASEMA departments such as the operations department, response unit, disaster risk reduction unit, forensic unit, engineering unit, and technical department through the early warning unit.

“Collaboration with other key stakeholders in emergency management is also very important in disaster risk reduction.

“The cooperation with the other key stakeholders becomes imperative to the success of reducing disaster risk,” the commissioner said.

Oyerinde explained the need to develop a strong disaster risk reduction mechanism was very apt, considering so many factors which include urban pressure, climate change and risk of disasters by natural hazards.

Emphasising this, he said: “Lagos, as we all know, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. It is one of the largest economies in Africa and the most populous city in Nigeria, with the highest human development index with so many developmental projects and human activities that take place on a daily basis.

“Again, you will recall that the Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 was adopted at the 3rd United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai city, Japan, in March 2015. It focuses on the adoption of measures which address exposure to hazards, vulnerability, capacity and hazards characteristics to prevent new risk and strengthen resilience.”

He noted that the four pillars of Disaster Risk Reduction included Disaster Prevention and Mitigation;  Disaster Preparedness; Disaster Response;  and Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery, saying that he expected the four critical points would be extensively discussed towards becoming an effective and efficient disaster risk reduction personnel.

He recalled that the United Nations created the 17 Sustainable Development Goals with the purpose of peace and prosperity for the world now and in the future, while Goal Eleven (11) centered on sustainable cities and communities.

This goal, he said, could become achievable through effective disaster risk reduction strategies

He urged the management of LASEMA to ensure that the Local Emergency Management

Committees in all the 57 LGA/LCDA become up and running so that they will be able to take the lead in preparing for response and recovery from any disaster and its effects.

“As we look forward to a prosperous new year 2024, let us uphold the core values of teamwork, prioritisation, risk assessment, partnership, and critical response,” Oyerinde said.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Okufemi Oke – Osayintolu, took the personnel and staff of the agency through the strategies for strengthening community resilience.