Corporate organisations in the Niger Delta has been urged to partner with their host communities in managing disasters that occure in their area of operations.
Air Commodore Chukwuma Cyrinus Ohanele of the Defence Indentification Centre, Defence Headquarters, Abuja made the recommendation while delivering a lecture at the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) held at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ohanele who spoke on the topic: “Equipping Communities For Disaster Risk Reduction; Realities and Myths,” decried the several disasters that had occured in various communities especially in the Niger Delta which he said had caused untold damages and hardships to residents of the areas, stressing that most communities lacked the manpower and equipment to prevent and mitigate such disasters when they happen.
According to him, the community residents would have taken the necessary preventive and remedial actions if proper trainings and awareness were provided to them on how to manage and reduce disaster risks in the communities.
The Senior Airforce Officer therefore called on the Federal, States and Local Governments in the country to institute policies that will encourage corporate bodies and organisations to invest in disaster management in the host communities adding that the National Assembly can enact a legislation compelling corporate firms operating in locations to assist their host communities in disaster risks reductions.
“Companies existing in the communities should be able to partner with their host communities to ensure that disaster risks are reduced,” he stated. He equally recommended for agencies involved in disaster risks management in the country to work with communities in providing the needed trainings and educational awareness to community residents to stop some harmful cultural practices that tend to hinder efforts in the execution of disaster risk management strategies. Air Commodore Ohanale in a chat with the media after the event, also charged communities in the Niger Delta to consider pulling resources together to form cooperatives that will engage in large scale farming, establishment of oil prospecting and artisenal refineries that will build their capacity to tackle disasters risks that may occure in their areas.
On the role of the military personnel in disaster management, the Officer appealed to the government to empower military formations to enable the military interface and support the communities in disaster management rather than waiting for directives from concerned authorities.
While acknowledging the enormous resources and human expertise required in disaster management, he however called on the government to do more in disaster management adding that local governments and communities need more support from the federal and state governments to work in synergy in carrying out effective disaster risks management, reduction and mitigations.
The Director, Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies (CDRMDS) in the University, Prof. Mbee Daniel Mbee had in his welcome address stated that the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was an initiatives of the United Nations in 1989 to promote global risk awareness on the culture of disaster reduction adding that the theme for 2025: “Empowering the Next Generation for Resilient Future”, emphasises the importance of empowering children and youths through education and other means to become agents of change in their communities and families. Prof. Mbee, expressed the commitment of CDRMDS in the advancement of research and sharing of knowledge in disaster risk management pointing out that empowering the next generation for a resilient future was a collective task that must be undertaken.
Chairman of the event and chairman, Board of Trustees, Centre for Environmental Preservation and Development (CEPAD), Surv. Furebi Freedom Akene, told newsmen that the event was a yearly programme of the centre to create awareness on the rights of the people to understand disaster risk management stating that it was a proactive way of reducing and mitigating disaster risks in the society.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Onwunari Georgewill said the University would continue to build on the capacity of experts to tackle issues of disasters in the society and called for the inclusion of disaster risk education in the curriculum of schools in the country.
