By Angela Atabo
FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has partnered with RCL Safety Centre to strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Acting Director-General of FEMD, Abdulrahman Mohammed, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at the 2025 FEMA-RCL Emergency Management Forum themed “Preparedness for the Worse”.
Mohammed explained that the gathering brought together the best minds, institutions, and practitioners committed to strengthening the culture of preparedness, resilience, and coordinated emergency response in FCT and Nigeria in general.
“This forum is not just another event. It is a strategic platform, a platform where ideas transform into policies, where collaborations translate into action, and where collective commitments shape a safer future for our communities.
“Our work today faces evolving trends, ranging from flood, fire outbreak, building collapse, public health emergencies like disease outbreak, and various human-induced incidents.
“These emergencies demand not only rapid response but proactive readiness, shared responsibility and multi-sectorial cooperation.
“We are committed to building a resilient community through continuous training, public sensitisation, early warning systems, and strategic partnership.”
Mohammed said that was why FEMD’s collaboration with RCL Safety Centre and other stakeholders was imperative.
He explained that the partnership strengthens FEMD’s mission, expands its reach and ensures FCT remains a model for coordinated emergency preparedness and response nationwide.
“Preparedness requires government institutions, private sector players, civil society and the public to work hand in hand,”he said.
Mohammed said that the forum would therefore focus on new technology, best practices, community engagement strategies, and innovative tools that would support emergency risk reduction and resilient building.
In his keynote address, Chief Felix Obuah, Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), highlighted the significance of the forum.
He said that FEMD being one of the core departments under AMMC required increased cooperation with relevant stakeholders to effectively address disaster-related challenges within the FCT.
Obuah, who was represented by Ms Oluwakemi Adeshola, Assistant Director Administration, AMMC, said the forum aimed to create awareness on the need to collaborate with effective stakeholders to achieve the desired result.
“We are looking for platforms like this to create awareness on the need for collaboration.There are so many areas of concern regarding disasters, and we need more partnerships to bring up ideas that will help prevent their occurrence.
“AMMC is part of this initiative because it is important to strengthen the systems we need to safeguard residents of the FCT in order to prevent the occurrence of such disasters.”
Obuah added that such engagements would help agencies collectively generate solutions that enhance disaster prevention and response strategies.
Also speaking, Mr Joe Oduah, Chief Executive Officer of RCL Industrial Safety Center Ltd., said the event was informed by the rising frequency and complexity of emergencies in Nigeria, ranging from fires and floods to workplace violence and bomb threats.
“As a matter of fact, individuals, workplaces need to be aware of what to do when emergencies arrive. Emergencies don’t come knocking before they arrive, so that’s why they’re emergencies.
“The best one can do is to be intentional about it, to learn how to respond, to learn how to prevent it, just to make sure that lives and properties are safe.
“Nigeria is hard enough, and the best we can do for ourselves is to be prepared to respond to these emergencies or be aware of how to even mitigate them from happening in the first place.”
According to Oduah, Abuja being one of the fastest growing cities in the world, brings with it heightened risks, making it crucial for residents, institutions, and government bodies to build capacity for effective response.
“The risks come with hazards, so it is good to be prepared, it is good to build capacity so that the growth can be meaningful and sustainable,”he said.
In her remarks, Grace Ike, Chairperson, FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), emphasised the critical role of journalists in disaster early detection and public preparedness.
Ike described the programme as “apt,” stressing that the media remained a crucial partner in disseminating warnings and educating the public.
“The role of journalists cannot be overemphasised when talking about early detection and preparedness for the worst.
“There should be more training and retraining of journalists, especially those covering sensitive beats. They need requisite knowledge because they are always in the field.”
Ike noted that while the forum provided valuable insights, more intelligence-focused training and broader coverage were necessary.
She emphasised the need for more awareness and elaborate media engagement so that the general public would be informed about how to prepare when disasters arise.(NAN)
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
