The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has established Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Club in four public secondary schools in Lagos State.
The DRR Club was set up on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 in Ojodu Senior Secondary School, Ojodu Junior High School, Babs Fafunwa Millennium Secondary School and Babs Fafunwa Millennium Junior School, Ojodu, Berger, Lagos.
Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Zonal Coordinator, South West Zonal Office, NEMA, said that the establishment of the club was part of NEMA’s plan to involve the grassroots in emergency management.
Farinloye said: “Today’s activity is in line with the directive of the Director General of NEMA, retired AVM Muhammadu Muhammed, that we should adopt a bottom to top approach in managing emergencies.
“Recently, we recruited and trained 64 Grassroots Emergency Volunteer Corps (GEVC) to assist the statutory agencies in preventing and mitigating disasters in Lagos State.
“So, inaugurating the DRR club in secondary schools is to further educate and sensitise the public that managing emergencies require a collective effort.
“The aim is to create the resilience of school children to disasters, create awareness of children to the need for them to be prepared for emergencies within their schools and environment.”
He said other schools and communities have indicated interest in the DDR club, adding that NEMA was targeting establishing it in about 100 schools within the next six months.
“We believe that when people are empowered with information and necessary skills that more lives can be saved during emergencies.
“So, teaching these students how to properly manage disasters is very important,” he said.
Farinloye said the students were taught by emergency response officials on how to administer first aid, resuscitate people with epilepsy and heart attack, fire prevention as well as adhering to the COVID-19 protocols.
Responding on behalf of her school, Mrs Patricia Anene, Vice Principal, Academics, Babs Fafunwa Millennium Secondary School, commended NEMA for the initiative.
She also commended the agency for donating first aid boxes to the four schools, adding that the gesture would help to improve the health and wellbeing of the students.
By Solomon Asowata
