As the yuletide period approaches, the Lagos State government has appealed to residents and businesses not to store inflammable items in their homes and facilities as a precautionary measure to prevent disasters and emergencies.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Stakeholders Consultative meeting on the establishment of the Institute of Disaster Management and Migration Studies, the Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, urged residents to cooperate with responders by not only being safety-conscious but also alerting LASEMA through the emergency numbers whenever they observe any incident that could lead to disaster, so it can be curtailed early.
He said: “We appeal to the good people of Lagos to remain cool and calm in the case of any emergency during this Yuletide. This is more so that the state government has overhauled the response process, but when you see something in your area, say something by calling the emergency numbers so that the responders will be there before any incident degenerates because LASEMA and other responders have been positioned strategically all over Lagos State for quick and early response.”
Oke-Osanyintolu said that the state government is committed to ensuring the citizens enjoy their Yuletide without any hitches.
“As a government, we are doing our best, but the good people of Lagos should cooperate with us because safety and disaster management are everyone’s business. Therefore, they should be safety cautious and not engage in any activities that will lead to disasters or fire. They should not store inflammable items in shops or homes. They should be assured that the emergency responders are ready to manage the golden hours at any time of the day, but they need to cooperate with all the responders.”
Oke-Osanyintolu maintained that the institute is important to establish because of the role it will play in equipping responders with the theoretical knowledge necessary for effective and efficient disaster management.
He insisted that Lagos State has the practical knowledge to help establish the institute, and it will go a long way in boosting the practice of disaster management in Nigeria.
“As we all know, Lagos is a fast-growing, densely populated, diverse and economically active city. With that comes a unique set of risks — flooding, building collapse, fire outbreaks, industrial hazards, public health incidents and, increasingly, the impact of climate change. And while LASEMA and our partner agencies work every day to strengthen response capability, we also know that response alone is not enough anymore.
“We must build capacity ahead of emergencies. We must train people, share knowledge, and develop new solutions.
We must professionalise this field so that disaster management is not seen as something we improvise — but as something we are well-trained and well-prepared for.
“That is the thinking behind the vision for the Institute of Disaster Management and Migration Studies (IDM & MS).
The Institute of Disaster Management and Migration Studies (IDM & MS) is intended to be. A place where first responders, emergency managers, security agencies, health professionals, and community actors can learn, train and retrain.
“A centre for research and innovation — so we are not just reacting to disasters, but understanding them and preventing them.
A regional hub, the first of its kind in West Africa, where we can collaborate with our neighbours on shared challenges.
And we cannot do this alone.”
Oke-Osanyintolu said the meeting was called to harmonise shared vision, identify the regulatory and operational pathways, secure collaborative partnerships, and co-create an implementation roadmap that ensures the Institute is properly recognised, accredited, and sustainably operational.
The meeting involved representatives of various responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Red Cross.
