By Yusuf A Yusuf, Damaturu
A three-day capacity-building workshop on disaster risk reduction financing opened in Damaturu on Friday, with stakeholders calling for a fundamental shift from reactive emergency responses to proactive resilience-building across Yobe State.
The event, organized by the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA) in partnership with Plan International Nigeria, has drawn a cross-section of critical actors, including civil society organizations, social media influencers,ministry of finance,budget and official from the State House of Assembly.
Delivering the opening address, Dr. Muhammed Ibrahim Jalo, Director of Search and Rescue Operations at YOSEMA, lamented that disaster management in the region has long been reactionary, with meager resources channeled into response rather than prevention.
He warned that this approach has consistently worsened disaster losses and deepened humanitarian crises.
"We must prioritize preparedness over response,"said Dr.Jalo.
He emphasizing that the workshop is intended to sharpen advocacy efforts aimed at unlocking sustainable financing for disaster risk management.
On his remarks,Mr. Mathew Aliyu, Program Officer for Plan International Nigeria's Zurich Climate Resilient Alliance Project, highlighted the urgency of domestic funding.
According to him,the project, now in its fourth phase of a 12-year cycle, operates across six Local Government Areas in Adamawa and Yobe states.
"Sustainable disaster resilience cannot rely solely on external support. Predictable and adequate domestic financing is non-negotiable.
"We are pushing for greater government commitment to allocate and transparently implement dedicated budget lines for disaster management,"said Aliyu.
The workshop is expected to yield concrete outcomes, including stronger government pledges for DRR budgeting, enhanced multi-sectoral partnerships, and robust mechanisms for tracking the utilization of approved funds to safeguard at-risk communities.
Sessions at the training explored the,"Overview of disaster risk management (DRM)/disaster risk reduction (DRR) financing and the importance of budget advocacy.Analysis of budget releases, expenditure, and disaster response costs and Role of Legislatures and CSOs in Disaster Risk Management Financing,"
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