The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the World Bank, has trained over 40 MDAs, NGOs, CBOs, and security officials in Kebbi State on Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R).
Speaking at the opening of the two-day Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop in Birnin Kebbi, the Director General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, said the workshop aimed to deliberate on current predictions of potential flooding in low-lying areas due to heavy rainfall.
Represented by the Director of Disaster Risk Reduction at NEMA, Dr. Isaya Isah Chonoko, the DG urged support from the state government under Governor Nasir Idris in promoting awareness, resource mobilization, and policy guidance for the project.
She noted that, in the next few days, NEMA would engage in fruitful discussion, share knowledge, and develop strategies to enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities as water release from upstream dams is also another challenge which Kebbi State is among the states which need to work actively with all stakeholders to mitigate these risks expectations.
According to her, the objective of the project are multifaceted and includes establishing a robust EP&R structure in every local environments in Kebbi with a view to building their capabilities, developing a comprehensive database of volunteers advocating for the adoption and inauguration of Local Emergency Maintenance Committees( LEMCs).
The DG added that, with this project, SEMA will be able to enhance disaster coordination at sub-national levels and improve disaster risk reduction efforts and management.
She expressed gratitude to the World Bank Group for their support and collaboration in addition to the efforts of their team and stakeholders who have worked tirelessly to bring this project to reality.
COV/ SANI DUTSINMA
