In order to manage and prevent disasters in Lagos State, all agencies of Emergency responders must ensure proper coordination with the locals at incident scenes.

This is according to Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who spoke at the Y2021 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction held at Alausa, Lagos which is observed annually to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction.

The theme for this year is “Disaster Risk Governance: International Cooperation for Developing Countries to Reduce their Disaster Risk and Disaster Losses.”

The Governor’s wife commended Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) for effective and timely responses during emergencies.

She urged them to forge ahead in preventing and managing disasters and ensure proper coordination between the Agency’s Officials and the locals at incident scenes.

In his remarks, Commissioner, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, said the State’s THEMES Agenda showed the premium placed on the wellbeing of residents especially in providing security and emergency facilities in the state.

Bamgbose-Martins stated that as at September 30th, LASEMA had responded to over 1,300 major emergencies, saving lives and properties worth billions.

He claimed that the incidents have not only affected the State but also individual households and businesses also experienced losses.

The commissioner, therefore, urged everyone to always prepare for emergencies and to always ensure disaster risk assessment.

Earlier in his welcome address, Director General/CEO LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, reiterated the need to build statewide capacity and to collaborate and strengthen efforts in pratically reducing disaster risk creation through effective disaster risk reduction, while noting that working together is the solution when talking about disaster risk management.

Oke-Osanyintolu further stated that in the last decade, there had been a steady increase in the number and magnitude of emergencies and disasters in Lagos State; some of which have caused tremendous economic damages and with losses of thousands of human lives.

“LASEMA is responsible for the coordination of both natural disasters and complex emergencies and has responded to nearly every major disaster in the State. In so doing, it has accumulated considerable knowledge and experience, and also developed a comprehensive system, LASEMA Boss said.

He added that the system included a 24-hour duty system, deployment of pre-hospital care team, issuing situation reports, increasing its efforts to support strengthened resilience, and immediate relief to the internally displaced through a network of local emergency responders.

Also Speaking, Convener, Africa Network for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development, Dr Soji Adeniyi, advised Nigerians to create awareness around the risks faced everyday.

According to Adeniyi, hazards come with risk but it should be properly managed to avoid disasters. He thereafter advised everyone to always ensure disaster risk assessment to avoid disasters.

The event also featured award of recognition to the wife of the Governor, Dr Ibijoke Claudiana Sanwo-Olu and Officials from LASEMA and other State Emergency Agencies which are Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos State Ambulance Services, State Neighborhood Safety Corps, State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, Red Cross, among others.

The event was also attended by National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Partners from Yobe, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, and other sister Emergency Agencies, among others.