The National Emergency Management Agency, Minna Operations Office, on Saturday launched an awareness campaign on tanker accident and fire prevention measures in Kwara State.

The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, said that the campaign was not just another event but a call to action.

The campaign held at Oloru Tanker Park in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara aimed at sensitising the public to the dangers of tanker accident and fire outbreaks.

Ms Umar, represented by the Head of Operations in charge of Niger and Kwara states, Hussaini Isah, said that the campaign was to raise awareness about the dangers and risks associated with tanker operations.

She said, “Let the gathering be the start of a new chapter where we shift from reactions to preventions, from silence to advocacy and from complacency to collective responsibilities.’’

She said that the campaign was to share knowledge and best practices to prevent disasters and strengthen partnerships between government agencies, emergency responders and the public.

Other objectives of the campaign were to reduce the frequency and impact of tanker explosion and fires, urging participants to actively engage and share ideas to champion safety in their communities.

Mr Umar emphasised the need for collective responsibility in preventing disasters, acknowledging the importance of collaboration in achieving the agency’s goals.

Also speaking, Executive Secretary, Kwara State Emergency Management Agency, Moshood Mogaji, said that stakeholders had a collective responsibility to prevent disasters.

In his remarks, Vice Chairman, Moro Local Government, Suleiman Abdulaziz, appreciated NEMA for sensitising residents to the area on the dangers of tanker accident and fire prevention.

The campaign featured emergency safety training by the Nigerian Red Cross Society and fire safety training by the Kwara Fire Service as well as distribution of educational flyers and stickers in English, Yoruba and Nupe languages.

Participants at the event included the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the police, Nigerian Union of Road Transport Worker, Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and traditional leaders.

(NAN)