Kano SEMA partners NEMA on fight against disasters
By Matthew Eloyi
The Executive Secretary of Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Saleh Jili has disclosed that the agency is collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in preventing and mitigating incidences of disaster in the state.
Jili, made the disclosure at a press briefing to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Risk Management, in Kano, on Wednesday.
The SEMA boss said that the international day for disaster reduction began in 1989 after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.
He added that the day had helped government agencies to keep proper data on various degrees of disaster, to enable the preparation of plans for a remedy or preventions of disasters.
The Kano SEMA had confirmed records of 29 persons killed and 14,244 houses destroyed by flood in 12 Local Government Areas of the state from January to October, he said.
He added that the day created room for data collection, such that “in 2020, 57,362 houses were destroyed, 26 persons lost their lives and 19 persons were injured and that the information was helpful to the government.”
Jili said the benefits of the day’s celebration included making people and communities, around the world, to be aware of the dangers posed by disasters, leading to the right attitudes by people on exposure to disasters and their attendant risks.
According to the SEMA executive secretary, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had predicted flooding, to be caused by heavy rainfall in 25 Local Government Areas of the state, including Bunkure, Minjibir, Tarauni, Doguwa Local Governments, amongst others.
