Moro (Kwara): On Saturday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Minna Operations Office launched an awareness campaign on tanker accidents and fire prevention measures in Kwara.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, said that the campaign was not just another event but a call to action.
The campaign, held at Oloru Tanker Park in Moro Local Government in Kwara, aimed to educate the public on the dangers of tanker accidents and fire outbreaks.
Umar, represented by Mr Hussaini Isah, Head of Operations in charge of Niger and Kwara, said that the campaign was to raise awareness about the dangers and risks associated with tanker operations.
“Let gathering be the start of a new chapter where we shift from reactions to preventions, from silence to advocacy and from complacency to collective responsibilities,” she said.
She said the campaign’s goal was to share knowledge and best practices for preventing disasters and strengthening partnerships between government agencies, emergency responders, and the public.
Other objectives of the campaign were to reduce the frequency and impact of tanker explosions and fires, urging participants to actively engage and share ideas to champion safety in their communities.
Umar emphasised the need for collective responsibility in preventing disasters while acknowledging the importance of collaboration in achieving the agency’s goals.
Also speaking, Mr Moshood Mogaji, Executive Secretary of Kwara State Emergency Management Agency (KWASEMA), said stakeholders had a collective responsibility to prevent disasters.
In his remarks, Alhaji. Suleiman Abdulaziz, Vice Chairman of Moro Local Government, appreciated NEMA for sensitising residents of the area on the dangers of tanker accidents and fire prevention.
The campaign featured emergency safety training by the Nigerian Red Cross Society and fire safety training by Kwara Fire Service, as well as the distribution of educational flyers and stickers in English, Yoruba, and Nupe.
Participants include the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and traditional leaders.
