By Elizabeth ADENUGA
A Consultant to the UN Development (UNDP), Mr Seth Vordzorgbe, has advised the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on excessive focus on providing relief materials after emergencies and disasters.
Vordzorgbe, the Project Technical Adviser (UNDP) to NEMA gave the advice in Lagos.
He spoke after a 2-day workshop on validation of the National Disaster Risk Management (NDRM) policy.
NDRM outlines government’s policy direction on current challenges to reducing risks from hazards in the country and it articulates government’s commitment to disaster risk reduction.
The Adviser said the agency should be more proactive and ensure effective collaboration with other agencies in managing emergencies and disasters.
“Relief is important but it should not be the focus of disaster management. Also, NEMA and Ministry of Environment need to collaborate to manage emergencies effectively,’’ he said
According to him, Nigeria is going to have best policy on disaster management in Africa.
“This policy is a very innovative one; it is a module, it is not a traditional disaster management policy. It speaks to the issue of climate change, conflicts, insurance etc.
“The document is completed and final; the policy will soon be handed over to NEMA and it will be ready for inauguration.
“The first thing to do after the inauguration of the policy is to integrate and harmonise all the documents on disaster response and management and bring coherence to all the policies in the country.
“Also, it should be sent to all State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and it should be simplified, translated into local languages and posted online.’’
The consultant, however, said it should be the responsibility of all the stakeholders to implement the Policy, adding that government should guide and coordinate the actions of the stakeholders.
Vordzorgbe also called for the review of the NEMA Act, which he said was an establishment Act not A Disaster Risk Management Act.
“If we do it right, Nigeria would be equipped to handle disaster like the 2012 flood, and every policy states what to do but the implementation is the problem.
“If the policy is diligently implemented, the country will be able to handle that kind of disaster,’’ he said.
The 2012 nation –wide flood led to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment and subsequently the NDRM Policy was designed in 2013.
The first draft of the Policy was designed in 2014 but change in government affected the revision of the policy until 2018.
The NDRM policy, a 10-year plan, is expected to be inaugurated by the Federal Government by first quarter of 2019.
