In this article, we’ll be addressing the types of emergency management in Nigeria. Read on to learn about the agencies and organizations that are responsible for preventing, preparing, responding to, and mitigating emergencies in Nigeria, whether they be man-made, natural or technological.
The types of emergency management in Nigeria would be discussed below:
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National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
The National Emergency Management Agency was established in 1999 and is responsible for supervising the management of emergencies and disasters within Nigeria, whether they be natural, technological, or human-induced. This agency coordinates with other emergency management agencies across the country to provide immediate and timely succour to victims of disasters, distribute relief materials, engage in search and rescue missions, and develop policies and activities relating to disaster management, among other duties.
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Nigeria Police Force (NPF)
The Nigeria Police Force plays an important role in disaster and emergency management within the country. The Police are usually the first responder to incident sites due to their proximity to the community and knowledge of the area. They also help to guide other out-of-area emergency management teams who aren’t familiar with the area, thereby improving overall response time and saving lives. In addition, Nigeria Police may engage in the timely evacuation of affected victims to save them. 112 and 199 are the emergency numbers to contact the Nigeria Police Force concerning emergencies of any kind.
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Nigeria Fire Service
Fire outbreaks rank among the top man-made disasters that have destroyed properties, rendered surviving victims homeless, caused economic loss, and taken valuable lives in Nigeria. Nigeria Fire Service comprising the Federal Fire Service, State Fire Services and private fire outfits is responsible for tackling fire-related disasters across Nigeria. These fire service agencies focus on fire fighting and rescue operations, fire prevention and mitigation, as well as offering paramedical services to victims of fire outbreaks.
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Nigerian Red Cross Society
Nigerian Red Cross Society, a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, is a major player in disaster and emergency management in Nigeria. This humanitarian non-profit organization engages in a range of duties during times of emergencies including relief interventions to victims of disasters, procurement and supply of blood to victims of terrorist attacks and other calamities, and the provision of first-aid treatments in the incident sites. Another activity the Nigerian Red Cross Society offers during emergencies is the arrangement of ambulance services to evacuate the wounded.
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Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA)
According to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on road traffic accidents in the first quarter of 2022, 3,343 Road traffic crashes were recorded across the country, leading to 1834 persons being killed. Although road accidents in Nigeria aren’t entirely caused by faulty road designs and bad roads, they contribute to road traffic casualties to a great extent. The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency seeks to reduce the occurrence of road accidents on federal roads, as well as create ease of movement of goods and services from every length and breadth of Nigeria by monitoring and maintaining them to ensure the roads are good and safe. If the 36,000km length of federal road across Nigeria is consistently monitored and maintained by FERMA as required, road traffic calamities would be greatly reduced.
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Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has the statutory responsibility of tackling traffic emergencies on Nigerian public roads. This is done by providing prompt attention and care to persons involved in road traffic crashes, engaging in road safety activities to prevent and minimize road accidents, and providing mobile and roadside clinics to treat accident victims. FRSC also regularly enlightens the public on how to handle accident cases until medical professionals come to the scene or the victims are sent to the hospital.
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Flying Doctors Nigeria
Flying Doctors Nigeria is an indigenous startup that specializes in providing medical emergency services to patients regardless of their location anywhere in Nigeria. This organization is recognized as the first indigenous air ambulance in West Africa and has over a decade of experience in the medical repatriation of patients using air ambulances, and medical stretcher services to victims of emergencies no matter how remote their locations are. Flying Doctors work with the government and corporations during medical emergencies to quickly evacuate affected persons from incident sites and perform site medical solutions to save victims’ lives. In addition, Flying Doctors Nigeria has several highly equipped doctor-operated stations in various parts of the country, which makes quick response to emergencies possible.
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Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency
Nigeria is drained by many rivers, hence flooding is usually a potential threat. The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency, an agency under Water Resources, has the mandate of operating hydrological stations across Nigeria to perform groundwater explorations, monitor the effects of climate change on water resources, and predict flood events. So, this agency’s task helps the public and the government know beforehand about the occurrence of floods and droughts and plan accordingly, thereby mitigating the effects of such a disaster when it eventually happens.
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National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
The National Security and Civil Defence Corps perform several emergency management duties directed towards protecting the citizenry and the nation from threats of disaster. NSCDC employs preventive measures to forestall pipeline vandalism, in turn protecting lives and properties that would have been affected in the event of an explosion. In addition, NSCDC helps manage civil unrest and riots so that they don’t deteriorate to the destruction of properties and loss of lives.
- River Basin Authority
- Nigerian Armed Forces
- Federal Protection Agency
- United Nations High Commission for Refugees
- Nigerian Meteorological Agency
Emergency management is what determines whether a country survives a disaster or is consumed by it. In Nigeria, the emergency management agencies and organizations discussed above have helped to prevent and reduce the harmful effect of hazards on the citizenry and nation, however, some problems exist that limit their effectiveness. Lack of proper maintenance of infrastructure and equipment, poor funding, and lack of public enlightenment on managing emergencies are some issues that affect the effectiveness of emergency management in Nigeria.