The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has commenced discussions with the National Institute for Sports aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction within Nigeria’s sports sector.
This was disclosed on Monday during a courtesy visit by a LASEMA team to the NIS office in Lagos to explore areas of collaboration on safety awareness, emergency response, and capacity building in sporting environments.
Speaking during the visit, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the visit was aimed at establishing a mutually beneficial partnership that would integrate emergency preparedness into sports administration and management.
Oke-Osanyintolu noted that both agencies could benefit from collaboration in the areas of capacity building, training, and resource sharing for the development of Nigeria’s sports sector.
“The purpose of this visit is to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with NIS. Sporting environments host large gatherings and high-intensity activities, which create unique emergency risks.
“By working together, we can embed preparedness, early warning, and rapid response into sports administration nationwide,” he said.
The permanent secretary also commended the Director-General of the NIS, Philip Shaibu, for his contributions to emergency management during his time at the Edo State Emergency Management Agency, noting that his experience would be valuable to the proposed partnership.
In his remarks, Shaibu noted that the NIS had suffered setbacks in the past, which had hampered the development of the sports sector in Nigeria.
According to him, the sports sector currently faces a manpower deficit of over one million personnel, which the institute is working to address.
He said the agency was implementing reforms to reposition itself as a centre of excellence, including the revival of abandoned infrastructure projects, curriculum review, staff development, and the introduction of new programmes in physiotherapy and paramedics.
Shaibu added that athlete and spectator safety remained a top priority for the institute.
The director-general also commended President Bola Tinubu for creating an enabling environment that would ensure the reforms yield positive results.
He added that the institute was expanding partnerships with national and international sporting bodies, including ongoing engagements with the Confederation of African Football, while also leveraging the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to improve access to education for students.