Uyimleshi, Justine; (2021) Effectiveness of the Nigerian emergency management system with respect to building collapses, human stampedes and electrical power failures. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

One response to disaster incidents in Nigeria is to improve institutional preparedness and strengthen the capacity of the organisations involved. This requires adequate resources, improved communication and enhanced operations of the national emergency operations centre (EOC) to intensify coordination and better allocate resources. Factors affecting vulnerability to disasters such as building collapses, stampedes and blackouts, and the capacity of Nigeria’s emergency management organisations (considering resource availability, communication ability and operations of the EOC), were evaluated for the six main organisations involved in emergency response in Nigeria: National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and National Hospital. Qualitative and quantitative approaches involving questionnaires and interviews were used. Poor housing and infrastructure, lack of disaster education, socio-economic challenges and institutional failures are the main factors that affect vulnerability to building collapses in Nigeria. Institutional failures, political issues and lack of disaster education affect blackouts, while socio-economic factors, institutional failures, political issues and lack of disaster education predominantly affect vulnerability to stampedes. Despite the need to have available resources, effective communications and functional EOCs, it appears that effective response and the implementation of emergency response activities in Nigeria are hindered by lack of adequate resources, lack of resource-sharing networks between federal, state and local government, lack of accountability, inadequate availability of equipment such as mobile phones and radios, and absence of communication networks such as LAN and WAN. Location and accessibility of each EOC, communication ability within the centre, and resources available to the EOC significantly influence the success or failure of operations of the EOC, which in return affects coordination, cooperation and integration among different levels of government and other organisations involved. In conclusion, there is a need for an emergency management plan that includes all elements and enhances resource availability and utilisation, effective communication, and coordination and allocation of resources to prevent, mitigate and respond rapidly to disasters.

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