Mr. Femi Giwa, General Manager of the Lagos State Command and Control Centre, has warned residents against making prank emergency calls, stressing that such acts put lives at risk.
Giwa made the call while addressing newsmen at the ongoing National SEMA Conference in Lagos. He also urged states to strengthen institutions, adopt technology, and foster collaboration to improve emergency management across Nigeria.
“Response time is very important in saving lives. When residents make false calls, they block genuine callers from reaching emergency lines. This delays first responders and affects the golden hour—that crucial window between life and death,” he said.
Giwa appealed to residents to desist from nuisance calls, emphasizing that emergency lines should only be used for genuine cases.
He explained that while disasters are often random and unavoidable, states can minimize their impact through adequate preparedness.
“The objective of this conference is to improve overall incident management in Nigeria. Disasters occur when hazard, risk, and vulnerability converge, and this is frequent across states. This forum provides an opportunity for emergency managers and agencies to share ideas and chart an efficient pathway for disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, ultimately building a resilient Nigeria,” he said.
The emergency boss stressed that disaster management relies heavily on collaboration, strong institutions, and adequate infrastructure.
“For example, when a building collapses, it takes firefighters, LASBCA, medical responders, and others working together. If the institutions are not well equipped and their capacity not built, it becomes very difficult. It is not rocket science—we must invest in institutions, capacity-building, and infrastructure,” he explained.
He urged state governments lagging behind to explore innovative funding options, including community engagement and partnerships with the private sector, while also leveraging ICT for predictive analytics, data gathering, and improved coordination.
The SEMA Conference continues in Lagos, bringing together state emergency managers, NEMA officials, and other stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s disaster management systems.
