Kano – The UNICEF, on Wednesday in Kano stressed the need for interagency collaboration to ensure the success of emergency response operations.
Mr Olusola Adeniyi, UNICEF Chief Field officer on Emergency, said at a three-day workshop on Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Planning, that such collaboration must start from the planning level to execution and prevention of emergencies.
He said that seamless coordination among stakeholders would also fast track getting relief to communities and persons affected by disasters.
“When the local, state, federal and international institutions work collectively, we achieve the best possible results efficiently and effectively.
“In such situation all stakeholders will have a clear cut role to play in emergency cases.
“People from the health, education, water, housing will not have to duplicate responses at the detriment of victims of disasters,” he said.
In his remarks, the head of media, UNICEF Kaduna field office, Malam Rabiu Musa, called on disaster stakeholders to see the media as a necessary partner in disaster prevention and control.
He said that the media would make disaster management more effective when information are accurately supplied.
“We must move out of the perception that the media has no role to play or may even hinder progress in periods of emergencies.
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“The media has the largest reach to get to all stakeholders relevant in disaster management than any single organisation.
“The people we all want to protect are the better for its when we carry the media along all through the process of emergency,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was attended by health, education, water and nutrition administrators from Niger, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Sokoto and Kebbi states. (NAN)
