The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) successfully hosted the inaugural National All States Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) Conference 2025, convening over 500 participants including Heads of SEMAs, emergency responders, policymakers, private sector representatives, and international development partners.
The two-day conference served as a strategic platform to deliberate on emerging challenges, share best practices, and chart a unified path toward strengthening sub-national emergency management systems for a more resilient Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Honourable Gbenga Oyerinde, described the gathering as historic, emphasizing the urgent need to transition from reactive to proactive disaster management, particularly at the grassroots level.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar Abubakar, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), commended Lagos State as a model of resilience and innovation. The Director General, reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to strengthening early warning systems, enhancing data-driven interventions, and expanding community-level capacity for risk reduction.
The Guest Speaker, Dr. Leke Pitan, a former Commissioner for Lagos State Ministry of Health and Education, in his paper titled “From Risk to Readiness: Strengthening Disaster Preparedness at the Sub-National Level,” identified four critical pillars of readiness: risk awareness, technology and foresight, empowered communities through Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), and embedding resilience into governance and everyday life.
His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, highlighted the State’s major investments in GPS-enabled emergency vehicles, mobile intensive care units, and a 24/7 Command and Control Centre. The Deputy Governor, underscored the importance of community engagement, personnel training, technological advancement, and sustainable funding for effective response systems.
The Chairman, House Committee on Special Duties, Hon. Rauf Olawale Age-Sulaiman, applauded LASEMA’s rapid response capability and innovation, describing Lagos as a national benchmark in resilience and inter-agency coordination.
Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos State, emphasized the need for SEMAs to proactively secure the necessary legal backing, operational resources, and equipment to function optimally. Her Excellency, called for stronger partnerships, stakeholders networking, and human capacity development—particularly through the training of NYSC corps members for emergency response—and commended LASEMA for its exemplary practices.
The documentary “LASEMA – Faces of Resilience” showcased the Agency’s evolution through decentralization, gender inclusivity, and the integration of advanced technologies, including drones and command centers.
Seyi Law, a comedian and the LASEMA’s Ambassador, delivered an engaging advocacy presentation using humour to promote public awareness of emergency toll-free lines (112 and 767), personal responsibility, and citizen participation in disaster preparedness.
The first panel session, moderated by Mr. Soji Adeniyi, featured the NEMA Director-General and representatives of SEMAs from the six geopolitical zones. Discussions explored state-level innovations, challenges, and best practices, highlighting Lagos State’s technology-driven model, community engagement, and inter-agency coordination as key enablers of resilience.
A continuation of the technical sessions, on the day 2 of the Conference, focused on institutional models, operational innovations, and replication strategies for other states.
The Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, presented the Commission’s operational framework built on four strategic pillars: Identification, Engagement, Empowerment, and Enforcement. Mr. Lanre Mojola, emphasized that early risk identification and mitigation have reduced incident occurrence by as much as 70 percent, underscoring the value of community participation through Community Development Committee’s and Local Government structures.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service shared its operational successes under the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, supported by significant government investment in over 100 modern fire appliances since 2020.
The General Manager, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Prince Falade Oyekan, highlighted the Agency’s effectiveness, noting the deployment of over 6,000 officers across all 57 LGAs/LCDAs as the first line of response in securing incident scenes and relaying early incident information.
The General Manager, Lagos State Command and Control Centre (CCC), Mr. Femi Kennedy Giwa stated that the centre was established under the provision of the Lagos State Command and Control Centre Law (2015, as amended). Mr Giwa, highlighted that the centre serves as the operational hub for inter-agency coordination. Its capabilities include real-time call handling via the 112 and 767 emergency lines, CRM-based case management, CCTV and mobile camera monitoring, GPS tracking, and multi-agency dashboard visualisation for enhanced situational awareness and response efficiency.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was recognized for its crucial role in preventive traffic management and ensuring timely emergency access during incidents.
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