FCT MINISTER COMMITTED TO IMPROVING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT – DIRECTOR, INFO, COMM
…SYNERGY AMONGST SDAs CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESS IN DISASTER MITIGATION, RESPONSE
By: Gyang Dakwo and Prudence Okonna
The Hon. Minister of the FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike is committed to improving emergency response and management in the nation’s capital.
This was disclosed by the Director, Department of Information and Communication, Mr Anthony Ogunleye, when a delegation from the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), led by its Acting Director General, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed paid a courtesy visit to his office on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
Ogunleye also reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to supporting the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) in raising public awareness on disaster preparedness and emergency response.
He also commended the efforts of FEMD in handling emergencies in the Territory and emphasized that synergy amongst SDAs and public enlightenment is critical to the agency’s success.
“There is no way we can grow without synergy. Your agency is important, and your response time is fantastic. If people don’t know what you are doing, it becomes difficult to appreciate your impact. That’s where we come in. We are here to help you with public visibility,” Ogunleye stated.
The Director underscored the importance of synergy between Secretariats, Departments, and Agencies within the FCTA and described the visit as a significant gesture that underlines the importance of collaboration within the FCT Administration.
Adding that synergy and collaboration makes for better preparation for agencies and departments involved in emergency operation like search and rescue, health, information, and equipment needs.
His words: “For instance, if we have modalities of collaboration between the Health Secretariat and your Department, response to emergencies will be seamless and hitch-free leading to the saving of lives”.
Ogunleye, therefore, pledged continuous cooperation and support to the agency through publicity.
Earlier, the Acting DG FEMD, Engr. Abdulrahman Mohammed commended the active role the Information and Communication Department has been playing in emergency management in the territory by disseminating information about emergencies across the territory.
Engr. Mohammed underscored the need for increased sensitisation on emergency situations like flood warnings and the likes which are often hampered by paucity of funds.
He explained that funding challenges have constrained the agency’s capacity to operate effectively, including efforts to sensitise the public on emergency risks such as the recent earth tremors in Mpape.
“Our work requires public awareness, and due to limited funding, we’ve not been able to do our jobs as efficiently as we should. We know the importance of the media and want to leverage this partnership,” the Acting DG said.
He therefore appreciated the Information and Communication department which through its flagship publication, Abuja Digest and Online News Website has been disseminating the information to the target audience.
He pointed out that such synergy was very important, as disaster prevention is much easier to carry out than managing it.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Administration, FEMD, Azeez Kadiri, noted that the agency has developed an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, which outlines the roles of all stakeholders in managing emergencies.
He thereafter revealed that FEMD is planning a stakeholders’ meeting which will bring together different SDAs relevant to emergency management to brainstorm on ways to improve Prevention, Response, and Mitigation of Disasters in the nation’s Capital.
