THE Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has launched Rapid Response 3 (CRE 2026) in Asaba, Delta State, a five-day national crisis response exercise aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s preparedness and inter-agency coordination during complex emergencies.

The exercise will begin from Friday, 11 September 2026, bringing together Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to test plans, procedures and command structures under the National Crisis Management Doctrine.

The Director of the Presidential Command and Control Centre (DPC4-ONSA), Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said the Rapid Response 3 will operate across the Gold, Silver and Bronze command levels and will run in four phases.

“Pre-exercise briefing, enabler training for participating components, the main Exercise Day (D-Day), and an after-action review to capture lessons learned.

“This is a scheduled multi-agency simulation designed to evaluate and strengthen our capacity to respond effectively to complex emergencies”, Ayo-Vaughan, adding that the “exercise is a simulation and does not represent an actual emergency”.

For the first time, ONSA is hosting the crisis exercise outside the Federal Capital Territory. The move to Asaba was made possible by the support of the Governor of Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori.

The Director commended the Governor for prioritising security of lives and property.

He said that venues were selected after reconnaissance to ensure realism, and that the exercise will involve heavy movements of security and emergency response vehicles and personnel within designated areas.

Ayo-Vaughan stated that the public have been notified by SMS and radio, urging them not to panic if they see increased activity.

According to him, only accredited media will be permitted to cover on-site activities to ensure responsible reporting and protect operational security.

He urged journalists to verify information before publication, clearly distinguish exercise activities from real incidents, and to contact the exercise coordinator or designated media liaison for enquiries.

He assured that adequate safety measures have been put in place for participants, observers and the public, pointing out that the objectives of exercise include enhancing inter-agency communication, command and control, rapid deployment, and effective crisis management.

“Observations from stakeholders and commanders will feed into a final lessons report to inform future exercises.”