Building Resilience is a Shared Responsibility- Presidential Advisor to Stakeholders

The Presidential Advisor on National Resilience and Emergency Preparedness at the Presidency, Hon. Ernest Brogya Genfi has called for stronger coordination among stakeholders including government agencies, MMDAs, emergency service providers, the private sector and society at large to approach resilience as a national development priority, stressing that building resilience was a collective responsibility. He was speaking as the special guest of honour at a symposium organized by NADMO as part of activities marking this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) on the theme, “Resilience Starts at Home”. He said the 2026 theme undoubtedly presented all individuals the opportunity to realize that national resilience could not be achieved by government institutions alone but that it begins with the decision everyone makes in the home. “Our schools must teach disaster preparedness, our communities must understand the risks they face, our businesses must develop continuity plans, and our local authorities must be equipped to identify and manage risks before they escalate into emergencies”, he urged. Hon. Genfi advised participants at the symposium to remain committed to strengthening prevention, improving preparedness, investing in resilient infrastructure as well as supporting the various communities in their quest to building resilience. The Presidential Advisor commended NADMO and it’s partners for bringing stakeholders together under one umbrella to share knowledge, examine existing gaps and identify practical solutions for the good of the country The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebernezer Terlabi, who delivered the keynote address, commended the organizers for successes chalked so far as far as DRR is concerned. He assured NADMO and it’s partners of his ministry’s readiness to support in any way possible to ensure that their goals were achieved. The Director General of NADMO Dr. J. B. Kuyon in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Director General in charge of Technical, Alhaji Rufai-Ahmed Auggudey reiterated calls for resilience to be built collectively.

He made it clear that if government institutions, local authorities, development partners and other key stakeholders would join forces to build resilience, the society would be better prepared to withstand disasters. He reaffirmed NADMO’s commitment to work with key stakeholders to advance DRR and strengthen resilience across the country. The platform provided participants the opportunity to share ideas on building and strengthening disaster resilience.

The Presidential Advisor on National Resilience and Emergency Preparedness at the Presidency, Hon. Ernest Brogya Genfi, has called for stronger coordination among government agencies, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), emergency service providers, the private sector and the public to make resilience a national development priority. He stressed that building a disaster-resilient nation was a collective responsibility that required the active participation of all stakeholders. Hon. Genfi made the call when he served as the Special Guest of Honour at a symposium organised by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), under the theme, “Resilience Starts at Home.” He noted that the theme offered an important reminder that national resilience could not be achieved by government institutions alone but must begin with decisions and actions taken at the household level. “Our schools must teach disaster preparedness, our communities must understand the risks they face, our businesses must develop continuity plans, and our local authorities must be equipped to identify and manage risks before they escalate into emergencies,” he urged. Hon. Genfi encouraged participants to remain committed to strengthening disaster prevention, improving preparedness, investing in resilient infrastructure and supporting communities in their efforts to build resilience against disasters. He also commended NADMO and its partners for bringing stakeholders together to share knowledge, examine existing gaps and identify practical solutions to strengthen disaster risk reduction and resilience across the country. The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Terlabi, who delivered the keynote address, commended NADMO and its partners for the progress made in disaster risk reduction. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to support the Organisation and its partners in their efforts to achieve their objectives and strengthen the country’s disaster management system. In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Director-General in charge of Technical, Alhaji Rufai Ahmed-Aggudey, the Director-General of NADMO, Dr. J. B. Kuyon, also underscored the importance of collective action in building a resilient nation. He emphasised that closer collaboration among government institutions, local authorities, development partners and other key stakeholders would strengthen the country’s capacity to anticipate, withstand and recover from disasters. Dr. Kuyon reaffirmed NADMO’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to advance disaster risk reduction and strengthen resilience in communities across the country. The symposium provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, share experiences and explore practical approaches to building and sustaining disaster resilience, in line with the 2026 IDDRR theme