Institute of Disaster Management and Safety Science, has called on Nigerians to be more safety conscious in order to prevent and reduce the risk of disasters in the country.

Its Registrar, Ochagwuba Edwin gave the advice in Abuja, saying specialised education was required by Nigerians to effect meaningful improvement in the global response to disaster and management.

Edwin said every year, thousands of people and property worth billions of Naira were affected by disaster, often receiving aid after a long delay and suffering, saying Nigeria was prone to multiple disasters like floods, erosion, droughts, desertification, terrorism, conflicts, and communal clashes.

“Many die or are injured needlessly as a result of inadequate social preparation, untrained and ill-prepared leadership for disaster response.

“We call on all Nigerians to be safety conscious by avoiding any form of carelessness both at home and the office for disaster risk reduction in the country,” he said.

Edwin said the Institute aimed at positioning Nigeria and Africa for disaster risk reduction, capacity building, security management, peace building and partnership through collaboration and empowerment, saying the Institute conducted training programmes, class room and online professional courses for various levels of stakeholders and members of the society.

“The Institute is a research body for human resource development, capacity building, professional competency certification and policy advocacy in the field of disaster risk management and Safety science.
“We give policy support for organisations and advice on disaster risk reduction and Safety strategies for safe living,” Edwin said.

He, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to be safety conscious and pro-active in order to reduce risks of disaster in the country.