The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has started a tabletop simulation exercise at the Institute for Security Studies, Abuja as part of a strategy on counter-terrorism. This is also in order to improve the capacity of stakeholders in rescue operation during terrorist attacks.
The exercise, organised in conjunction with the United States Government, will focus on the use of vital assets as independent protective devices and chemical pollution level detection instruments.
Declaring the exercise open, NEMA Director General, Mohammed Sani Sidi, said emergency rescue exercise has become necessary now that terrorism was on the rise in Nigeria and, indeed, the entire West African sub-region.
He explained that the simulation exercise would identify capabilities and gaps inherent in the preparations of relevant agencies to meet the exigencies of terrorists’ strikes.
“Of recent, Nigeria as a nation has had its fair share of this ugly phenomenon that has now made it necessary for us to gather in this serene environment to practice an articulated scenario based tabletop simulation exercise to enhance our capacity towards facing this challenging phase of our national development”, he stated.
The NEMA boss stressed that as the only statutory body with the task of coordinating emergency, the agency has the responsibility to get everyone ready for any eventuality.
He expressed appreciation to the US Government for all the support it has extended to Nigeria’s national emergency preparedness and especially the National Pandemic Disaster Response programme.
Mohammed also disclosed that NEMA had applied for a plot of land to build its proposed Centre for Disaster and Emergency Management (CDEM) and that once the land application was granted by Federal Capital Territory Administration, construction work would commence.
According to him, the centre will be a coordination point for stakeholders in emergencies.
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