The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), opened the maiden sub-national (SEMA) conference in Lagos on Thursday.

The National SEMA Conference, which will be held from October 2 to 4, 2025, is a gathering of emergency management stakeholders from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

These stakeholders are to chart a coordinated framework for disaster preparedness and resilience across Nigeria.

The conference has the theme “Strengthening Subnational Emergency Management for a Resilient Nigeria.”

In her remarks, the director-general of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, described the event as a defining step in strengthening Nigeria’s disaster management architecture.

Ms Umar commended Lagos State for its pioneering strides through the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), noting its decentralisation of response units, integration of technology, and strong community mobilisation.

The NEMA boss noted that the examples from Lagos State are models for national adoption.

“Lagos has shown that when vision meets commitment, progress is inevitable. Yet, as a nation, we face sobering realities: floods, building collapses, industrial accidents, public health emergencies, and the growing threats of climate change.

“These challenges demand not just a federal response but a coordinated national system,” she added.

Ms Umar outlined her administration’s focus areas, including strengthening early warning systems, expanding grassroots capacity building, and embedding transparency in emergency interventions.

Also speaking, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the permanent secretary of LASEMA, said that hosting the maiden conference underscored Lagos State’s leadership in disaster management.

Mr Oke-Osanyintolu announced that LASEMA would formally launch its Institute of Emergency and Disaster Management this weekend to institutionalise training and professionalise emergency response across the country.

“By December, we will admit our first intake of trainees. This is when professionalism will meet academics—ensuring Nigeria produces responders with both knowledge and practical expertise,” he added.

He also unveiled the LASEMA mobile app, designed to enhance communication and response times during emergencies.

Leke Pitan, former Lagos State Commissioner for Health and Education, delivered a keynote address titled “From Risk to Readiness: Strengthening Disaster Preparedness at the Sub-National Level.”

He drew on Lagos’ pioneering reforms under former governor (now president) Bola Tinubu and recounted the establishment of LASAMBUS in 2001, Nigeria’s first structured state ambulance system with mobile intensive care capacity.

Mr Pitan also recounted the eventual creation of LASEMA to coordinate multi-agency responses.

“For cities like Lagos—densely populated, economically vital, and highly vulnerable—integrating health systems into emergency management is not optional; it is existential,” Mr Pitan said.

He highlighted 10 strategic levers for the future, including surveillance, financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and community resilience.

Mr Pitan urged states to adopt a “resilience-first” mindset, saying, “Emergencies will inevitably come—whether flood, fire, disease, or accident. The true test is not their occurrence but our readiness, unity, and innovation in response.”

The conference will feature high-level plenary sessions, simulation drills, technical sessions, and networking platforms for policymakers, responders, international partners, and the private sector.

(NAN)