Expert: A multi-agency strategy is essential for efficient disaster management

The significance of capacity building, innovation, information sharing, and technology-driven rescue operations in disaster management has been underscored by the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department.

Speaking on Tuesday at the International Association of Emergency Managers’ inaugural symposium in Abuja, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, the acting director general of FEMD, emphasized the necessity for emergency responders to adjust to new challenges.

“In the past, we prepared for river or flash flooding during the rainy season, but now we have to contend with building collapse, drought, and suicide attempts,” Wenegieme said.

“I hope this symposium will come up with a methodology to handle these emerging challenges in the country,” she added.

During his speech at the ceremony, Dr. Abbas Garba, the first Director-General of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that disaster response is a multifaceted, multidisciplinary, and multi-agency issue.

“Multi-agency activities require networking to share information, expertise, and resources,” he said.

In his paper, “Communication, Coordination, Cooperation, and Collaboration: A Multi-Agency Approach for Effective/Efficient Disaster Management Across Africa,” Abbas argued that understanding these key elements would enable emergency managers to work more effectively and efficiently in responding to disasters and minimizing the impact on communities across Africa.

The purpose of the symposium was to exchange knowledge, skills, and best practices in disaster management among specialists in emergency management.