Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Muhammadu Muhammed has called on Nigerians to quickly adapt to the new situation, which COVID-19 and climate change has introduced to avoid devastating consequences.
He stated this during a workshop for NEMA personnel on integrating climate change and COVID-19 vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning for disaster risk management.
The D-G said impacts of climate change and COVID-19 cut across all boundaries whether spatial/geographical, economic, political, technological, social and cultural.
“The risk and dynamics of COVID-19 pandemic and climate change vulnerability has given us the warning that we have to quickly adapt to the new situation or we suffer the devastating consequences,” he said.
According to him, the country cannot continue in its traditional ways of managing disasters, rather, evolve the process of disaster risk reduction and adaptation to hazards on daily basis.
Muhammed said the COVID-19 pandemic led to huge economic losses, deaths and distortion in the human pattern of life, hence the need to address the two incidents has called for capacity development of disaster risk managers.
He said the workshop will provide analytical and probing skills for NEMA staff and stakeholders in carrying out COVID-19 recovery needs assessment for disaster risk reduction.
He advocated for proper training of disaster risk managers to adequately respond to the challenges of climate change and COVID-19.
Commissioner of ECOWAS Commission in charge of Social Affairs and Gender Dr. Siga Jagne said the commission and other global partners were concerned about the devastating effects of climate change and COVID-19 and therefore collaborating with NEMA to address the challenges.
She added that ecological problems in Nigeria have led to huge economic losses and avoidable deaths.
