LASEMA PARTNERS UNILAG ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has reiterated its readiness to partner with relevant institutions and other stakeholders towards entrenching safety of lives and property in the state.

The General Manager, LASEMA, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, disclosed this on Thursday at the Command & Control Centre Alausa, while receiving delegation of the Disaster Management Programme of the University of Lagos, Akoka, stating that, “the Agency’s door is open to partnership and collaboration with relevant institutions towards building its capacity and response capability in disaster management.”

Tiamiyu noted that over the years, the Agency had given necessary support and assistance to undergraduate students from various Universities in the areas of internship, (SIWES), research and development, as well as volunteering in emergency response.

Other areas where the Agency assists educational institutions, according to him, include; skill acquisition and training, adding that after working out a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the Institution, the Agency will be willing to accept students for Industrial Attachment programme posted to LASEMA Response Unit, LRU.

He further noted that in the last three years, there has been a remarkable improvement in emergency/ disaster management in the state, noting that the present Administration has invested so much in the procurement of new equipment, provisions of training programmes, as well as establishment of additional dispatch Centres, which started with one Centre in Alausa-Ikeja, to the establishment of the LASEMA Response Unit in Cappa, Oshodi, Lekki by Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge and Onipan on Ikorodu Road.

He added that effort is ongoing to replicate this Centres in Epe and Ijanikin by Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, bringing service closer to the people and reducing response time.

In his response, the leader of the delegation, Prof. Alabi Soneye, the Coordinator, Masters in Disaster Management, MDM, Programme, University of Lagos, thanked the Lagos Emergency Management and stakeholders for their activities in the past and more recently, in managing crisis and disasters in Lagos; while noting that research carried out by the University can be integrated and used by the Agency, in areas of emergency/disaster mitigation and preparedness – especially in reducing disaster amongst others. He stated that the partnership will be of mutual benefit in all ramifications.