NEMA, NOA partner on grassroots disaster awareness

NEMA, NOA partner on grassroots disaster awareness
Rebecca Muazu, Abuja

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has requested the support of the National Orientation Agency on grassroots disaster awareness to boost community resilience in reducing loss of lives and property.

The Director General of the agency, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi made the request when he led the management of the NEMA on advocacy visit to the head quarters of the NOA, in Abuja.

Managing disaster

He said there was need for the people to be properly informed about the disaster risks in their communities to enable them adopt necessary measures in the prevention and mitigation of such.

The Head of the emergency management agency said the agency had given early warning alerts months ago that enabled some communities to prepare ahead of the imminent disaster.

Responding, Director General of the NOA, Alhaji Idi Farouk, pledged the supports of his organization to collaborate with the NEMA towards disaster reduction.

He expressed the regrets that most of the disasters in the country were human induced, requiring positive changes in the values, attitudes, cultures and orientation of the people, which the NOA should assist in creating the awareness, particularly at the grassroots.

He advised the NOA to further assist in sensitizing the states and local governments that were yet to establish their own functional emergency management agencies to do so in complementing the efforts of the Government in their areas.

He said the agency had identified the need for synergy for comprehensive response to the challenges of disasters and had developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed by all the relevant stakeholders for proper commitment to emergency management in Nigeria.

The Director General of the NOA, Alhaji Idi Farouk pledged the supports of his organization to collaborate with NEMA towards disaster reduction.

Williams