In this article, I am going to discuss emergency management in Nigeria. I will be discussing what emergency entails, its types, its phases, and lastly, I will also discuss some emergency management agencies in Nigeria.
An emergency is a sudden, dangerous event that requires quick action to prevent injury to life, health, or property. It can also be an unanticipated shift in circumstances. Nigeria is currently experiencing its own emergencies with the floods that have swallowed houses and destroyed farmland in the south.
The Four types of Emergency Management in Nigeria
Emergency management is the science of managing complex systems and interdisciplinary teams to address extreme events across all hazards and through the phases of mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery.
1. Mitigation
Any actions that avert emergencies, lessen their likelihood of happening or mitigate their harmful impacts are all acts of mitigation. Consideration of mitigation measures should begin far in advance of an emergency.
For instance, while choosing building materials, wiring, and appliances, abide by safety requirements to reduce the risk of fire in your home. However, a fire accident is still a possibility. You should purchase fire insurance to shield yourself and your wards from the high cost of rebuilding after a fire. These steps lessen the threat and destructive impacts of fire, hence, they are acts of mitigation.
2. Preparation
Prior to an occurrence, this phase entails making plans for what to do, where to go, and who to call for assistance. It involves putting in place plans that will increase your odds of successfully managing an emergency. For instance, displaying emergency contact information, practicing for emergencies, and installing smoke detectors are all examples of preparation measures.
3. Response
How well-prepared and responsive you are will determine how safe and healthy you will be in a crisis. You can safeguard your family, the people around you, your pets, and yourself by acting appropriately and safely.
4. Recovery
Your capacity to handle the reorganization of your life and environment following an emergency and after the immediate danger has passed will determine your continued safety and well-being. You must take care of yourself and your family during the healing process to avoid illnesses brought on by stress and severe financial strains. You should think about steps you may take to decrease (mitigate) the effects of future disasters while you go through the recovery process.
Importance of Emergency Management in Nigeria
Emergency management’s main goals and objectives are to safeguard communities, especially the weaker ones, and to lessen casualties from risks and disasters. It facilitates disaster preparedness and response through the creation of structures and plans.
It aids in the recovery process following either natural or man-made disasters. Emergency action plans are what these strategies are known as. You may avoid the uncertainty and chaos that come with emergencies by having an emergency action plan. All parties concerned can simply refer to the previously created action plan, which will show them what to do next, to maintain some level of control amid emergencies.
The emergency action plan assists in the recovery from the effects of those disasters by making materials with the essential tools, supplies, and necessities available to the parties involved. It facilitates a quicker and simpler recovery from those tragic circumstances.
Types of emergencies in Nigeria
1. Natural
- Bad Weather
2. Technological
- Fire
- Accidents involving Hazardous Materials
- Aircraft Collisions
3. Man-Made
- War/Terrorism
- Civil Unrest
- Shooting/knife and cutlass attack
Emergency Management Agencies in Nigeria
1. Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA)
According to data on road traffic accidents released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), there were 3,343 crashes nationwide in the first quarter of 2022, which resulted in 1834 fatalities. Although poor road designs and poor roads do not totally account for all road traffic fatalities in Nigeria, they do play a significant role.
By monitoring and maintaining them to keep them in good condition, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency aims to lower the frequency of accidents on federal roads as well as facilitate the transportation of goods and services from all corners of Nigeria. Road traffic tragedies would be significantly decreased if FERMA constantly monitored and maintained the 36,000km length of federal road across Nigeria as necessary.
2. Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
On Nigeria’s public highways, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is mandated by law to handle traffic crises. This is accomplished through giving accident victims timely attention and treatment, participating in road safety initiatives to prevent and reduce traffic accidents, and offering mobile and roadside clinics to treat accident victims.
In addition, FRSC frequently educates the public on how to handle accident situations until emergency personnel arrives or until the injured are taken to the hospital.
3. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
The handling of emergencies and catastrophes, whether they be natural, technical, or human-induced, in Nigeria is overseen by the National Emergency Management Agency, which was created in 1999. This organization collaborates with other emergency management organizations across the nation to, among other things, distribute relief supplies, participate in search and rescue operations, create policies and plans for disaster management, and provide immediate and timely assistance to disaster victims.
4. National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
The Security and Civil Defence Corps performs a number of emergency management tasks designed to safeguard the populace and the country from natural disaster threats. By taking precautions to avoid pipeline vandalism, the NSCDC safeguards the lives and assets that an explosion may have endangered. Additionally, NSCDC assists in controlling riots and civil unrest to prevent property damage and human casualties.
5. Nigeria Police Force (NPF)
The Nigeria Police Force is crucial to the nation’s response to emergencies and disasters. Due to their proximity to the neighborhood and local expertise, the police are frequently the first responders at incident scenes. Additionally, they aid in directing other emergency management teams from outside the area who are unfamiliar with the area, speeding up response times and perhaps saving lives.
The Nigeria Police may also assist in the prompt evacuation of impacted victims in order to save them. The Nigeria Police Force can be reached at (112) and (199) in case of emergencies of any kind.
6. Nigeria Fire Service
In Nigeria, fire breakouts are among the most common man-made disasters that have destroyed homes, made survivors homeless, resulted in financial loss, and claimed priceless lives. The Federal Fire Service, State Fire Services, and private fire outfits make up the Nigeria Fire Service, which is in charge of responding to fire-related incidents throughout the country.
These fire service organizations concentrate on carrying out firefighting and rescue missions, preventing and mitigating fires, and providing paramedical care to victims of fire outbreaks.
7. Red Cross Society of Nigeria
A key actor in emergency and disaster management in Nigeria is the Nigerian Red Cross Society, a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. During times of crisis, this non-profit humanitarian organization performs a variety of tasks, such as providing first aid at the scene of the occurrence, obtaining and supplying blood to victims of terrorist attacks and other tragedies, and providing relief assistance to disaster victims. Organizing ambulance services to transport the injured is another function the Nigerian Red Cross Society provides in times of need.
8. Flying Doctors Nigeria
In-country company Flying Doctors Nigeria is focused on offering patients emergency medical care no matter where they are in Nigeria. This company has over ten years of experience in providing medical stretcher services to victims of emergencies, no matter how far away their locations may be and is acknowledged as the first indigenous air ambulance in West Africa.
During medical emergencies, Flying Doctors collaborates with the authorities and businesses to swiftly evacuate the injured from the scene and provide on-site medical care to save the victims’ lives. Additionally, Flying Doctors Nigeria has a number of fully functional, doctor-operated stations located around the nation, enabling rapid response to crises.
Importance of supporting people after an emergency
Emergency situations can be difficult for their victims. Emergency situations can be difficult for their victims to recover from, depending on the sort of tragedy. Some people experience complete loss, including their home, means of support, and, occasionally, even their loved ones. After a tragedy, hazard victims must feel empowered, whether physically or emotionally. The importance of this for these victims cannot be overstated.
Regarding emotional empowerment, the victims require some type of therapy to assist them in overcoming the trauma and the hazards’ impacts. Therapy is one approach to giving these folks an emotional boost, and setting up support groups is another way to help those involved in these dangers emotionally recover. These initiatives assist in getting these people back on their feet.
Physical empowerment focuses on assisting these individuals in regaining their financial footing and locating more long-term solutions for themselves and their families. This can be done by providing the victims with loans and grants to assist them in launching their own enterprises and finding other sources of income to sustain themselves. This would help the victims get out of poverty and get back to living normal lives.
Health-related rehabilitation is another form of physical empowerment. Some of the victims experienced injuries on all scales, some of which were severe and some of which were not. The catastrophe even caused some people to lose body parts. There should be health plans in place to support these people’s health appropriately and nurse them back into healthcare. Facilities that will assist individuals in trying to live normal lives should be made available, such as wheelchairs or crutches for those who have lost limbs or are unable to walk.
Some of these victims must temporarily support themselves while they are healing because they are unable to work. They ought to be enrolled in some kind of financial assistance program so they can sustain themselves until they are well and capable of working. Some people do not fully heal and are still unable to work since the effects of the accident left them permanently damaged. Therefore, the government ought to put them on financial assistance to support them in meeting their financial obligations, taking care of themselves and, if applicable, their families.
Author
Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.