THE NATURE AND THE STATUS OF DISASTER MANAGERMENT IN NIGERIA Dr. Wale Alabi, Dr. Victor Ugbelase , AFRICAN ORIENT 40 Adegbola str., Anifowose Ikeja, Lagos.

Prevailing hazards in Nigeria Introduction Recommendation for Effective Disaster in Nigeria Conclusion The Nature of Disaster in Nigeria Hurdles to Management of disaster in Nigeria Role of the Armed Forces

INTRODUCTION It may interest you to know that many factors govern the Organisation and design of individual response systems. Some of these are political, environmental, historical and jurisdictional and economical. Therefore comparisons between system are difficult, because of the variables involved Nigeria the giant of Africa and the most populated country (120 million) in Africa, Nigeria has an expansive coastline of about 973,768sq km. Geographical features such as the extensive Niger Delta, expansive Belts of hills and Plateaus in the middle Belt and North East, and a vast and land further North makes it one of the most difficult and expensive terrains to manage disasters or conduct search and rescue. Nigeria as a country has suffered a lot from the problem of disaster. The world Disaster Report (a publication of the International Federation of Red cross and Crescent societies, 2002 edition) gave an annual average of people killed and affected by Disasters in Nigeria as 96,786 representing 0.09% of people killed and affected by Disasters in the world.

THE NATURE OF DISASTER IN NIGERIA Nigeria as a nation has suffered from its own share of disaster occurrences for example, between 1992 to 2000, Nigeria recorded about 400 major fire and aircraft disasters involving more than 10,000 people with death toll of about a thousand plus and quantum of property destroyed was evaluated to be in tons of millions of dollars. These include landslide, thunder, windstorm, flooding, soil erosion, earthquake, tremor, volcanic eruptions or coastal erosions to mention a few, while the manmade ones may include dam-failure, maritime disasters, bomb explosion, conflict / crisis, occasioning displacement of victims, oil spillage, population explosion and train accidents and air crashes. Nigerians have been lucky with earthquakes but not so fortunate with floods, pollution and oil spillages, ethnic disturbances such as ethnic conflicts between Hausa – igbo and Yoruba – Hausa. The country has also had its fair share of air disasters

Farmlands and houses have been washed off by erosion in the Northern and Southern parts of the country, oil spillage have displaced the Ijaw fisherman and their farming counterparts have more or less been rendered jobless too because of the effects of the spillage on the ecosystem. As long as probity, transparency and patriotism continue to decline in our country we shall always reap economic and social woes. As long as Nigerians believe in the get-rich-guide syndrome, the menace of pipeline disaster will continue to be a reality. There has been more than a thousand attempts of vandalisations of pipeline in Nigeria since 1993.

THE PREVAILING HAZARDS IN NIGERIA HAZARDS AREA MOST AFFECTED S/NO. NATURALMAN-MADE 1. Drought and decertification Sudan-sahel Belt ( Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kastina, Zamfaraand Kebbio States.) 2. Flooding Coastal belt, flood plains of major rivers, cities with inadequate drainage. 3. Catastrophic soil erosion Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ondo, Ekiti, Akwa- Ibom, Ebonyi States. 4. Destructive StormsAll States 5. Dust StormsSudan-Sahel Belt 6. Coastal ErosionLagos, Ondo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River States.

7.Earth TremorsSouth Western States 8.Pest invasionAll states 9.Human disease epidemicAll states 10.Animal disease epidemicAll states 11.Dam failureNiger, Bono, Sokoto etc. 12.Building collapseAll States 13.Oil spillageNiger Delta 14.Land, water and Air transport accident All States 15.Bomb ExplosionLagos 16.Civil strikeLagos, Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Benue etc 17.Fire DisasterAll States 18.WildfiresAll states

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA Disaster preparedness and response are not solely the work of experts and emergency responders from Government disaster organizations Local volunteers, citizens, organizations and business have an active and important role to play – before, during and after major emergencies and Disasters Role of Government In 1976, the Federal military Government took a giant step in the management of Disaster through the establishment of NERA (national emergency relief Agency) by Decree No. 48. It was observed that the decree laid emphasis on the relief aspect of the Agency’s functions thereby limiting the activities of the agency to the distribution of relief materials to disaster victims. It is mandate did not cover prevention, control, mitigation and rehabilitation phases of disaster management in the countries.

In order to address the limitation in the scope of operation of NERA and proffer solutions to the ineffective disaster response in the country, a National workshop on Disaster and crisis management in Nigeria was organized by NERA from the 4-6 November, 1997 at the Abuja Sheraton Hotels and Towers. The aim of the workshop was ro afford NERA the opportunity to articulate and adopt a more comprehensive and effective approach to disaster management in the country through the participation and contribution of ideas by all organizations and Agencies concerned with disaster management in the country. The activities of such agencies are intersectional and must be properly coordinated by a well - structured and authorized body to achieve the desired goals. The scope of operations of NERA was later broadened to perform general functions including but not limited to the formulation of policies on all activities relating to disaster management and co-ordinate plans and programmes for response to disaster.

On the basis of the foregoing NERA metamorphosed to National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in It was established by decree no. 12 to respond to the obvious need for a truly functional, interventionist, pre-emptive and autonomous body to co-ordinate the management of disasters in all its ramifications in Nigeria.

THE STRUCTURE OF NEMA NEMA has successfully responded to more 200 cases of disaster within two years of its existence. Chairman of Council Governing Council Director - General Department of Finance Administration Department of Planning Research & Forecasting Department of Relief & Rehabilitation Department of Search & Rescue Admi n Finance Planning & Research ForecastingRelief Rehabilitation Communication Search & Rescue Operations Audit Unit Press UnitLegal Unit

NEMA ORGANISATION CHART The Federal Government of Nigeria, through NEMA’s activities, is leading the country to developing and maintaining a national emergency management system that guarantees protection for its citizenry and properties United Nations has designated NEMA as the focal point for disaster management in Nigeria and has instituted disaster management co-operation between it and Agency the previous chart

The police and Armed forces, made up of the Army, Navy and Air-force have the traditional functions of ensuring security and peace. In an emergency situation they are expected to keep peace by pre-empting an imminent breakdown of law and order. Specific services play predominant roles in specific mishaps. Generally the roles played by armed forces in Nigeria includes search and rescue (SAR) medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), fire fighting support, provision of transportation support for relief agencies, opening of routes and construction of bridges, provision of shelter, water and olectricity, provision of first and medical facilities, patrol operations, communication support, naming of key – points and vulnerable points and provision of security services. Most times there are conflicting interest between NEMA and the Armed forces, but this has been addressed. ROLE OF THE ARMED FORCES

HURDLES TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA Lack of proper coordinating channels between the Federal, State and Local Government Agencies. The progress which has been made at the Federal Level in the area of institutional arrangement has not unfortunately been matched at the State, not to talk of Local Governments and Community Levels. This is a big problem because it is at these lower levels that most disasters made their impact. Lack of implementation and enforcement of that could mitigate against disaster i.e. urban master plans to counter floods and irrigation plan to counter drought. Inadequate trained personal for search and rescue and relief operations. Lack of comprehensive disaster information date. Lack of equipments i.e. communication equipments. In adequate funding for hazard assessment, vulnerability studies, risk assessment, forecasting and public awareness raising.

RECOMMEDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA The federal government of Nigeria should evolve an effective and comprehensive disaster management plan for the country. Mobilization of domestic and international resources for disaster reduction. Dissemination of information on disaster resistant constructions methods for building and public works. Identify disaster prone areas and device programmes for possible, voluntary relocation to areas that are less disaster – prone. Collaboration of reputable international disaster agencies with NEMA and other Local NGO’s involved in disaster management.

Promote and encourage communities to participate in disaster preparedness planning in such areas as water and food storage, fuel and first aid and in disaster prevention through activities that build a culture of safety. Training and retraining of personnel involvement in disaster management.

CONCLUSION Nigeria as a country has suffered a lot from the problem of disaster. It is indeed a great threat to natural security. Today Nigeria is suffering from a host of problems like deteriorating economic condition, low agricultural output, unemployment and general deterioration of the state of health. Added to all these, are occasional natural and frequent manmade disasters that further compound because of desires to develop very fast, we tend to neglect or pay little attention to disaster issues and problems waiting until they have occurred with devastating consequences. It is therefore crucial that we awaken our policy makers, government, civil society and the international community to evolve an effective comprehensive disaster management preparedness and response plan for the country. Thank you. Dr. Wale Alabi

THE NATURE AND THE STATUS OF DISASTER MANAGERMENT IN NIGERIA Dr. Wale Alabi, Dr. Victor Ugbelase , AFRICAN ORIENT 40 Adegbola str., Anifowose Ikeja, Lagos.