Katsina State Government has inaugurated emergency management board in all 34 local government areas of the state to enhance disaster prevention and response at the grassroots level.

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda inaugurated the committees during a ceremony held at the State Secretariat Conference Hall. The governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, Faruk Lawal Jobe, explained the significance of the committees.

“The importance of these committees cannot be overemphasised; hence the need for them to work hard to achieve the desired objectives,” the deputy governor stated during the inauguration.

The committees are tasked with notifying the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) of potential natural disasters, implementing disaster prevention measures, and making recommendations to the agency. Mr Jobe called on local councils to provide maximum support to the committees and assured continued government backing for SEMA’s ooperations.

“The Katsina State Government will continue to give support to the Katsina State Emergency Management Agency for the overall development of the state,” he said. He further urged the committees to establish sub-committees at the ward level to extend their reach to communities.

In her address, Binta Husaini Dangani, Executive Secretary of SEMA, explained that the committees will work closely with the state agency on disaster management activities in their localities. “The committee will liaise with the state emergency management in disaster management activities in their localities,” Mrs Dangani said. She added that committee members are “expected to create public awareness on potential hazards in their communities and educate their people on safety measures against any disaster.”

Mrs Dangani highlighted recent SEMA achievements, noting that in 2024, the Katsina State Government spent over N62,180,000 to address 99 cases of fire disaster. Additionally, the agency purchased grains worth N298,650,000 for distribution across the state.

Earlier, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, represented by the Zonal Coordinator Alhaji Yusuf, charged the newly inaugurated committees to act swiftly when disasters occur. “Immediately report any disaster catastrophes to the agency before it goes beyond the emergency situation,” Mr Yusuf told committee members.

The NEMA representative pledged federal support to Katsina’s emergency management efforts. “The National Emergency Management Agency assures support to the state emergency management agency for the development of Katsina and Nigeria in general,” he stated. Mr Yusuf also commended the state government’s initiative, saying, “I appreciate the effort of Katsina State Government for making this dream come true.”

Speaking on behalf of all local government councils, the Chairman of Funtua Local Government, Lawal Matazu, committed to the committees’ success. “We assured to work hard and rededicate ourselves to duty to achieve the objectives of reducing any disaster from the grassroots levels,” Mr Matazu promised. The inauguration ceremony included an educational component, featuring a presentation on disaster management delivered by Yusuf Ahmad, providing technical guidance to the newly inaugurated committees.