US to help Nigeria improve disaster management, preparedness

The United States of America, has offered to assist Nigeria in improving her disaster management capabilities.

The US Bilateral Affairs Officer, US Embassy in Abuja, Major Chidi  Adighije, said this in an interview with journalists at a one-day seminar on Disaster Response and Emergency Management organised by the US Embassy in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the major objective of the seminar was to educate the Nigerian emergency agencies on how disaster management is done in the US, while also discussing how to improve strategies to meet the local situation.

Adighije said, “In the US, we have several agencies that are involved when it comes to disaster management and preparedness which is quite similar to what Nigeria has, however implementation might be different.

“If there are any gaps, we hope this seminar will bring that to light and we will see where we can facilitate in bridging those gaps.

“It’s the believe of the US Embassy and the Nigerian government that having experts in the same room, they will be able to figure that piece out. Ultimately, what everybody wants to see is that the agencies that are responsible for disaster can actually come to light and be productive in event of a disaster.”

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Armed forces, Comm. Ahmed Saleh, said disaster constituted a challenge to every government, stressing that it was important to know the best way to manage it.

“We want to know how best to manage disaster, that is why Nigeria invited the US to come and teach us how best to mitigate disaster in the country,” he said.

Also speaking, the representative of the Ministry of Interior, Modupe Omisore, said Nigeria was always open to assistance from the US which, she said, was always available to support the nation.

“We recognise the fact that we are not up to the task in the area of disaster management, so that informs this seminar,” she added.

The Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior and the National Emergency Management Agency participated in the seminar.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tight security as Abia council polls hold today

Image
The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Mr. Adeleye Oyebade, has said the State Police command will provide adequate security across the seventeen local government areas of the State to ensure a smooth conduct of the local government election today. He stated that the Nigerian constitution guarantees that there must be adequate security during elections at the local councils because the people at the grassroots were involved. Oyebade who spoke during a press conference with senior Police officers in Umuahia, the State Capital, pointed out that the command had mapped out its operational plans to secure the State during and after the election. He explained that leaders of various political parties in the State have been briefed regarding the conduct of their candidates and the electorate on the election day. He said, “Every credible election must be well planned, because proper planning prevents poor performance. So those of us that are stakeholders in the State h
Read more

Confusion As ‘Cross Of Jesus’ Is Sighted In Nasarawa Mosque

Image
Residents of Assakio Development Area in Lafia, Nasarawa State were thrown into confusion on Saturday following the sudden appearance of a strange cross five feet away from a central mosque in the community. The mysterious sighting attracted a mammoth crowd from Assakio and its environs with many praying for forgiveness and blessings. Our correspondent observed that the illuminated cross was projected on to the ground. A 15 year-old-girl, Hajara Hussaini, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said she first sighted the sign of a cross at about 8pm on Wednesday. Hussaini, who said she had been sent on an errand by her parents, explained that when she saw a strange light, she as gripped by fear and rushed back home to alert her mother, Matan Liman. Confirming the incident to journalists, Matan said she had sent her daughter to visit her grandmother. The middle-aged woman added that her daughter saw the crucifix while returning from the errand. The Chief Imam of Assakio
Read more

Investors stranded as MMM reopens

Image
Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox, a Ponzi scheme known simply as MMM, on Friday opened for business after one month of break, but investors in the scheme have remained stranded as they still cannot access their funds. MMM had announced the resumption on its Twitter handle, saying it was “now open” even though it had initially promised to reopen today, Saturday, January 14. In the message, the scheme’s founder, Sergey Mavrodi, said because of the likely deluge of requests from participants, payments would be gradual and have limits. He also said it would prioritise payments to participants with small amounts, which were not specified, and that big investors would have to wait longer. “Please, be prepared to wait for a couple of days. We are certain things will then calm down, and the system operation will return to normal. “We’re the ones setting limits, so it’s completely under our control, and we are not expecting any emergencies in principle. Have no fear and go on
Read more