The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is working with the Federal Fire Service, the Nigerian Red Cross, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police on disaster management. 

The agency yesterday launched a campaign to reduce the loss of life and property during fire outbreaks and ensure security during emergencies. 

It conducted an evacuation drilling among its workers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the Federal Government secretariat complex.

NEMA Zonal Coordinator for Abuja Operations Office, Mr. Ishaya Isah, told reporters that the exercise was a part of the agency’s mandate of curtailing disasters.

He noted that the Act that established NEMA empowers it to monitor the state of preparedness among organisations and agencies in disaster management. 

Isah said: "It is in furtherance of this mandate and in response to the current security situation in the country that the management of NEMA directed all its zonal offices to prepare emergency evacuation plan for Federal Government secretariats and demonstrate a drill for them."

The NEMA coordinator said the exercise was aimed at monitoring the preparedness of the critical stakeholders in emergency response and "to mitigate the impact of such emergencies like fire, bomb scare and terrorist threats when they inevitably occur".

He urged the stakeholders to partner NEMA to mitigate loss of lives and property during emergencies.

Isah stressed the need for proactive measures to tackle "the latest wave of disasters in our country, occasioned by insecurity".