The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen emergency response coordination and deploy technology-driven solutions aimed at reducing response times as the state prepares for increased flooding and other emergencies during the rainy season.
The government also warned residents against indiscriminate disposal of waste and blockage of drainage channels, stressing that many flooding incidents experienced across the state are preventable and largely caused by human activities.
Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde, disclosed this during the maiden Stakeholders’ Engagement Meeting and Technical Training on the Lagos Emergency Responder Management System (LERMS) held in Alausa, Ikeja.
Oyerinde said Lagos, as a rapidly growing megacity, requires a unified emergency management framework capable of addressing emerging risks and challenges.
According to him, the state continues to contend with a wide range of threats, including flooding, fire outbreaks, road traffic crashes, building collapses, hazardous material incidents and civil disturbances.
He noted that effective emergency management can no longer be handled in isolation, emphasizing the importance of integrated communication systems, real-time information sharing and coordinated deployment among emergency response agencies.
“The Lagos Emergency Responder Management System is designed as a centralized incident management and dispatch platform aimed at enhancing emergency call handling, incident logging, responder tracking, resource allocation, communication interoperability, geospatial coordination and post-incident accountability,” Oyerinde said.
He explained that the platform would improve operational visibility, eliminate duplication of efforts and support faster and more informed decision-making during emergencies.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the Lagos State Command and Control Centre (LSCCC), Mr. Femi Kennedy Giwa, said the engagement was necessary given the increasing risks and vulnerabilities associated with Lagos’ status as one of Africa’s largest urban centers.
“The level of risk, vulnerability and hazards that we experience as a state keeps increasing astronomically and we have diverse threats to manage. It is very important for us to be unified in our approach,” Giwa stated.
He said the engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to review existing gaps, assess lessons learned from previous incidents and improve coordination among agencies responsible for public safety and disaster response.
According to him, the state expects significant improvements in emergency management through enhanced collaboration and technology adoption.
“The impact is that we will see more responsive and responsible first responders. We will continue to embrace technology and reduce response time,” he said.
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On flood preparedness, Giwa urged residents to support government efforts by complying with environmental regulations and avoiding practices that contribute to flooding.
“Some of the hazards we experience, like flooding, are man-made. People block drainages and fail to respect building regulations.
Government will continue to enforce laws and implement policies that will help prevent and mitigate flooding,” he said.
He assured residents that the state government had put adequate infrastructure and emergency response mechanisms in place to manage flood-related incidents during the rainy season.
Agencies participating in the engagement included the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Ambulance Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Rapid Response Squad (RRS), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ministry of Social Welfare and other emergency response stakeholders.
The programme featured presentations on inter-agency coordination protocols, live demonstrations of the Lagos Emergency Responder Management System and technical sessions focused on collaborative emergency management and disaster response strategies.