LASEMA, NIS collaborate over disaster risk reduction

The Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), and National Institute for Sports have agreed to collaborate on different areas, including emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction in the sports sector, among others.

This was made known yesterday, when the LASEMA team, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, met with the Director-General, National Institute for Sports (NIS), Philip Shaibu, in Lagos.

LASEMA boss, who praised the NIS boss, acknowledged the turnaround the institute has undergone since Shuaibu assumed duty.

He described the DG as “a performer, put him anywhere, he will turn it around.”

LASEMA boss, going down memory lane, said the DG played an active role in the establishment of the  State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Edo.

Oke-Osanyintolu, therefore, introduced the Lagos Institute of Disaster Management to the DG and urged him to send his staff members to the Institute for training, in athletes’ safety, paramedic capacity, and risk reduction in sporting facilities, among others.

Oke-Osanyintolu reaffirmed LASEMA’s mandate as the coordinating agency for emergency planning, mitigation, and response in Lagos State.

He highlighted existing partnerships with academic institutions such as the Lagos State University Institute of Disaster Management and Security Studies as evidence of the agency’s commitment to knowledge-driven disaster management.

“The purpose of this visit is to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with NIS. Sporting environments host large gatherings and high-intensity activity, which creates unique emergency risks. By working together, we can embed preparedness, early warning, and rapid response into sports administration nationwide,” Dr Oke-Osanyintolu said.