Minna – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Niger has said that colloboration by various stakeholders had helped in reducing disasters during the year.
Mr Lugard Slaku, Niger NEMA Coordinator, disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
He said that the agency swung into action after the prediction by the National Metrological Agency (NIMET), of heavy flood within the year.
He said that the agency had series of activities with farmers such as seminars, workshops, sensitization and creation of awareness to brief them on what was about to happen and to prepare them.
Slaku said that the agency also organised seminar on solid waste management in Niger and Kwara with selected communities on how to manage dumping of refuse.
“After the seminars and workshops, we went round with officers from the state Environmental and Protection Agency (NISEPA), for feedbacks to check if what we have taught was being implemented,” he said.
Slaku said that a team from the agency also conducted an assessment on the lead poisoning that occurred in Kagara Local Government Areas to access the people’s needs and provided health assistance to them.
He said that the agency also collaborated with the National Youth Service Corp to train members on Emergency Management Vanguard.
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“The essence of training corp members is for them to identify gaps and execute community development projects.”
Slaku called on the state government to make the state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) operational.
He urged government to provide adequate equipment for the state Fire Service fighters to make their disaster response more efficient.
He said the agency would commence training of Journalist on how to report disaster.
“Presently, we are reviewing all our activities for the year to plan for the next year. This is to see where we got it right and where we got it wrong,” he said. (NAN)
