NEMA to train 154,000 volunteers

The National Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday said about 154,000 volunteer corps would be trained by the agency.

Speaking, the Director General of the Agency Dr. Mohammed Sani-Sidi, said in Kaduna that the volunteers corps would be integrated into community resilience groups across the country.

He however lamented  the high level of disaster in Nigeria, saying the agency would set up a community resilience network to assist disaster management in the country.
At the inauguration of the community resilience network and peace brigade, the NEMA Boss said no fewer than 200 volunteers would be selected from each of the 774 local government areas of the country saying that by the first quarter of 2014, the training would have been concluded in all the zones.

“There is a remarkable increase in the number of disaster incidents in Nigeria which are mostly hydro-meteorological. This is sending a strong signal that negative impact of climate change is escalating until we rise up to the challenge and stand together to curb it.

“NEMA will continue to work to make the communities safe and happy place to live in. We are working on an existing platform and blue print of having at least two hundred NEMA volunteers in each of the 774 local government areas of the country, thus having at least 154, 000 volunteers nationwide and integrating them into NEMA Community Resilience Network. This will enable every community to understand their core values, how well they protect it and how well they live and support one another.

“The flagging off in the North West Zone, and by the grace of God, by the first quarter of next year, we would have finished the training in all the zones across the country.” He said