Kaduna State Government is enhancing the state’s early warning and early response system by equipping the Local Emergency Management Committees at the local government levels with the necessary knowledge and tools to detect, report, and respond to disasters.
Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, declared open a two-day workshop organized for Local Emergency Management Committees from the 23 LGAs and stakeholders in the emergency response sector, organized by the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) with the support of EU Humanitarian Aid, UNICEF, Christian Aid and Nigerian Red Cross Society.
In her address, Dr Balarabe said the workshop represents a pivotal moment in Kaduna State’s efforts to enhance disaster preparedness and strengthen the Early Warning System (EWS) capacity of our Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCS) across the state.
She said the purpose of the workshop is to increase the capacity to update the risk knowledge component under the Early Warning System (EWS), assess and establish hazard monitoring tools and systems for EWS, establish a community communication system for Early Warning System, as well as linking the preparedness plan to Early Warning System, which is not only critical but also timely.
"As we continue to face various natural and human-induced hazards, it is imperative that we equip our local emergency management committees with the necessary tools, knowledge, and systems to effectively anticipate, respond to, and mitigate potential disasters.
The Deputy Governor acknowledged and appreciated UNICEF, Red Cross Nigeria, and Christian Aid for their continued support to SEMA to enable the building of a more resilient Kaduna State.
“I am particularly grateful for your unwavering support and collaboration in making this workshop a reality. Your dedication to our state's disaster risk management efforts is truly commendable, and I look forward to furthering our partnership in this critical endeavor.”
While commending the new management of the State Emergency Management Agency-SEMA for the tireless efforts in responding to various disasters in the state, the deputy governor called on them to up their ante in forging more inter-agency collaborations and to strengthen their capacity to proactively prevent disaster, as the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure.
Also speaking, UNICEF’s Emergency Specialist, Olayinka Afolabi noted that Kaduna is the only state that has an emergency contingency plan in place and is among the few that have set up Local Emergency Management Committees.
He stated that UNICEF is glad to support Kaduna in strengthening the capacity of these committees because disasters and their impact affect local communities. Therefore, there is, a need to set up a mechanism for information sharing at the local level.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Dr Usman Hayatu Mazadu stated that Kaduna State is building an emergency centre at SEMA's Headquarters with the support of UNICEF to strengthen the Early Warning System (EWS).