The Nigerian Armed Forces and Response to National Disaster

Abstract

Nigeria has suffered from many devastating man-made and natural disasters. The high death toll and property losses from these national disasters in Nigeria, are estimated at over 2% of the country's GNP. This qualifies our national disaster as a major threat to our national development, and, thus, a threat to the national security. Therefore, the Nigerian Armed Forces should play a key role in our national disaster management. A review of some of the typical cases of national disasters, demonstrates a high degree of unpreparedness by the Nigerian Nation to manage these disasters. In fact, Nigeria does not seem to have a comprehensive strategy for effective management of her national disasters, in spite of the establishment of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The easily recognizable pitfall in Nigeria's disaster management strategy, is the almost total neglect of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the national disaster management. According to the Nigerian Constitution (Section 217 (2c) of 1999), the Armed Forces could only intervene in civil matters when called upon to do so (on emergency basis) by the President. The Constitution, therefore, implies that the Armed Forces cannot, on their own, respond to national disasters. But, paradoxically, Nigerians expect prompt and decisive response to national disasters from various military commanders within their localities, and often feel let down when they fail to assist the public, promptly, during national disasters. This study, therefore, sought to examine, critically, the national disaster management strategy with particular reference to the role of the Nigerian Armed Forces, and propose a more comprehensive disaster management framework. The study involved extensive literature search, as well as interviews of individuals and institutions, who are the key stakeholders in disaster management in Nigeria. In the course of the research, it became clear that with the establishment of NEMA by Decree No.12 of 1999, the Nigerian Nation took a very bold step in addressing, once and for all, the perennial problem of haphazard response to national disasters. The problem of no specific role for the Armed Forces (except when ordered out on emergency basis by the President), has been ameliorated by NEMA through the concept of the military Disaster Reaction Units (DRUs). However, the research identified three serious weaknesses in NEMA, which must be addressed in this early (foundation laying) phase of its life, to ensure a strong and resilient NEMA. The weaknesses so identified in NEMA were: Non-establishment of Local Government Emergency Management Committees (LGEMCs); The lack of direct control of SEMCs and LGEMCs by NEMA; and NEMA's poor influence over its disaster management partners, whom it is supposed to coordinate. As a way forward, the study has come up with a proposal on how the serious weaknesses in NEMA could be rectified, as well as appropriate strategy to ensure active involvement of the Armed Forces in Nigeria's national disaster management.