Protocols:
it is my pleasure and privilege to welcome you all to this important workshop convened to prepare and equip stakeholders in Nigeria to monitor and report on the progress, challenges and opportunities on national disaster risk management in the Nigeria based on the Sendal Framework Monitor (SFM) As we assemble here today for this laudable exercise, we must recall that the global community faces unprecedented challenges of nature and human induced disasters exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather events. In the face of these complexities, our commitment to effective disaster risk reduction becomes more imperative than ever before. The Sendal Framework, adopted in 2015, represents a landmark international agreement to chart the course for global disaster risk reduction efforts. Within the context of this workshop, four targets of Sendai Framework on substantial reduction will be given priority on the monitoring and reporting dashboard.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you may recall that monitoring and reporting of disaster events remain a pillar in the implementation of the Sendai Framework which is data-driven. It enables the assessment of progress, identifying of gaps and analyzing impact of our actions to enable a recalibration of our strategies to address evolving disaster challenges. Placing data in the fore front to achieve the monitoring and reporting of disaster events underscores the rationale for NEMA’s stakeholder workshop in September, 2022 which revived the national disaster data platform in the same vein, another workshop was organized by NEMA in collaboration with ECOWAS and UNDP in November 2022. The workshop agreed on the need for an integrated disaster database and risk information management system in Nigeria to strengthen existing database and capacities across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
I therefore use this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to my colleagues, Heads of Specialized Institutions that have consistently supported this very important task. To you, our indefatigable stakeholders, I thank you very sincerely for your unflinching support which is highly acknowledged and appreciated. The array of participants for today’s event is a testimony to our collective aspiration to build on existing synergy and collaboration to rise to this national call to service. We must sustain the tempo of driving the monitoring and reporting of disaster risk management activities on the UN Sendai Framework Monitor with a vision to achieve the lead country in West Africa sub-region and Africa as a whole. The achievement will launch Nigeria to global reckoning and place the country in the fore front of disaster resilient development trajectory.
I am glad to note that in recognition of our efforts on DRR monitoring and reporting, NEMA was invited to represent Nigeria in the Mid-term Review of Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030 in New York in May, 2022. Nigeria’s efforts in the implementation of the Framework were presented to the admiration of the DRR global community during the event. Furthermore, NEMA participated in the 78 Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) where I made presentation in a side event on Disaster Risk Coordination, Human Displacement and Forced Migration. Equally of note is our participation at the 28th Session of Conference of Parties (COP-28) in Dubai. During the event, NEMA called on the UN and other international organizations to upscale their support for Early Warning Systems in developing and developed countries including Small Developing Island Nations. Just last week from 23d to 26th, January, 2024, NEMA was at Kobe, Japan to attend the International Recovery Forum. NEMA made presentation on Nigeria’s disaster recovery scenario as part of experience sharing with partners. In addition, NEMA team served in three different panels on critical disaster recovery thematic areas of global interest.
Ladies and gentlemen, our responsibility as drivers of Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sendai Framework are both profound and urgent. As we resume in the technical sessions of this workshop, the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians are deeply hinged on our ability to translate our knowledge into action. Our collective efforts can make a difference in reducing the impact of disasters, protecting vulnerable communities, and fostering risk informed sustainable development. It is imperative that our monitoring and reporting mechanism is inclusive within the context of “leaving no one behind”. We must recognize that the diverse needs and vulnerabilities of our people and communities are crucial for overall stability and sustainability of Nigeria.
In conclusion, I will like to thank the UNDRR and UNDP for their unwavering support for effective and efficient disaster risk management in Nigeria. I also extend my gratitude to you, our amiable stakeholders for your commitment to this cause. Your expertise, dedication, and collaboration remain the driving forces behind our collective efforts and achievements. As we embark on this technical workshop, let us be inspired by our strength and national interest. Together, we can build a nation where disasters are no longer insurmountable obstacles but opportunities for resilience, adaptation, growth and development. I wish you all, a most productive and enriching workshop.
Thank you.
