Disaster: NEMA to construct Ambulance Bay across Nigeria

By Mohammed Kandi

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has pledged to replicate across the country, an improved version of the Emergency Response and Ambulance Bay (ERAB) in the Capital City, Abuja, to address instant emergencies as they occur.

The Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi disclosed this Tuesday during the official commissioning of ERAB at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

“The ERAB that is being commissioned today is an improved version of the earlier prototype design. Our ultimate aim is to promote the ERAB as a national standard and to replicate same across the Federation,” Sani Sidi said.

“We believe this will go a long way in helping to bring succor to distressed persons, especially in cases of emergencies and disasters.”

The DG further stated that the agency will continue to evolve strategies and programmes that would ameliorate the suffering of especially the victims of disasters in the country saying “one of such strategies aimed at reducing response time is the emplacement of emergency response facilities at strategic locations.”

He said: “In actualizing this strategy, NEMA in conjunction with the Federal Capital Territory Administration identified strategic places within the FCT, where emergency response facilities could be located and which could serve as a forward operating base for NEMA.”

“Five of such places were located in the place where we are today being one. Thereafter NEMA, together with a firm of Architects came up with a prototype design of the Emergency Response and Ambulance Bay (ERAB).

“The ERAB was designed to be self sustaining in terms of amenities. The prototype was subsequently constructed at lugbe interchange along the Airport Road – which is one of the other identified strategic locations.

“The construction of the ERAB at Lugbe has greatly enhanced NEMA’s response to Emergencies within the environs. The positive feedbacks from the populace lend credence to the wisdom of establishing the ERABs and gave impetus for the speedy replication of the bays at the identified places within the FCT,” he explained.

Sani Sidi also commended the FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed for his unflinching support for this project, adding that “Let me also appreciate the collaboration the Agency has been receiving from our esteemed stakeholders from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Red Cross, the FCT and Federal Fire Services, and many others on this and many other programmes the Agency has been rolling out.”