Lagos records 822 disasters in six months, set up working group for emergencies

Lagos state government said it has responded to 822 emergencies and disasters within the last six months, reflecting a 60 per cent increase compared to 2020.

General Manager/CEO, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who revealed this during  the flag-off of  three-day meeting of the Technical Working Group in Lekki area of Lagos, identified Baruwa gas explosion, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway oil tanker explosion, Ijora-Badia tank farm fire and Iddo warehouse disaster, as some of the notable cases.

He stressed that LASEMA and its relevant stakeholders responded to 822 incidents, from January 1, to June 20, compared to the 2020 annual figure of 1024 incidents from January to December, which showed an average increase in incidents.

Oke-Osanyintolu, who inaugurated the Technical Working Group, harped on the need for emergency responders to work in harmony, stating that outcome of the meeting would eliminate rivalry amongst all emergency responders and stakeholders operating within Lagos State, to enable quick and effective intervention.

Speaking on the agency’s proactive measures to respond to emergencies, Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA had established market emergency committees, Local emergency management committees in all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), stating that earlier, the agency had set up school emergency management committees with the responsibility of educating primary and secondary students to reduce disasters in Lagos.

He said: “ As part of efforts to ensure effective response and mitigation of emergencies and disasters, Lagos has inaugurated an Inter-Agency Technical Working Group on Wednesday on its proposed five-year plan, to ensure safety of Lagos residents.”

On his part, Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, explained that the establishment of the group became imperative for LASEMA as the coordinator of emergency and disaster management in Lagos to meet, device new ways to successfully combat emerging threats.

He added that since Lagos is a fast growing city with a large population and never-ceasing intense economic activities, members of the Technical Working Group would come up with detailed plan on strategies, tasks and deadlines to boost safety in the state, stressing that members have a part to play not only in the development of the document, but also in its implementation which may include, but not limited to policies and regulations, code enforcement, community awareness.

The Commissioner reiterated that Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu led administration is particular about the safety and protection of life and property in Lagos, as evidenced in the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.