Kabawa Community Pledges Inclusive Approach to Disaster Risk Reduction
By Rotimi Odofin
The Kogi State Government, in collaboration with development partners and community stakeholders, has intensified efforts to promote disaster preparedness and strengthen community resilience as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The initiative featured a roadwalk awareness campaign in Lokoja on Tuesday, October 13, which commenced beneath the flyover at Ganaja Junction and brought together representatives of relevant ministries, departments and agencies, security organisations, civil society groups and flood-prone communities.
The Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA), Alhaji Mukta Attima, declared the roadwalk open after delivering an opening address in which he appreciated the state government, under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, for creating an enabling environment for disaster risk reduction awareness and supporting efforts to strengthen disaster management across the state.
Attima commended the government for providing the necessary structures and resources to improve disaster management, noting that sustained public awareness and collaboration among relevant institutions were essential to protecting lives and property.
The campaign was organised against the backdrop of the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, with the theme, “Resilience Starts at Home.”
It emphasised the need for households and communities to adopt practical measures to prevent disasters, prepare for emergencies and protect vulnerable residents, particularly persons with disabilities, women, children and older persons.
The Sustainable Family Health Care Foundation (SFHF), a non-governmental organisation in Kogi State, organised the initiative in collaboration with Christian Blind Mission (CBM), an international organisation based in Abuja.
Ahead of the campaign, the organisations had conducted a three-day residential training for stakeholders from relevant ministries, departments and agencies, alongside representatives of flood-prone communities, including Kwabawa, Adankolo, Gadumo, Old Polytechnic Quarters and Ganaja.
The training was designed to strengthen participants’ understanding of disaster risk reduction and equip them with practical knowledge to improve preparedness, early warning, emergency response and community resilience.
In a goodwill and appreciation message, Kwabawa Community, one of the communities with persons with disabilities, expressed gratitude to the state government and its development partners for promoting inclusive disaster preparedness.
The community particularly acknowledged SFHF and CBM for their contributions to building local capacity through training and awareness initiatives.
According to the message, the training had helped residents appreciate that disasters, although sometimes unavoidable, could be prevented or their effects significantly reduced through proper planning, timely warnings and coordinated action.
It noted that resilience begins with simple household measures, including clearing gutters to prevent flooding, identifying residents who may need assistance during emergencies, keeping emergency supplies and establishing effective communication and response arrangements.
The community stressed that persons with disabilities must be fully integrated into disaster preparedness plans, insisting that emergency warnings, evacuation procedures and response mechanisms should be accessible to everyone.
As part of its commitment to building a disaster-resilient community, Kwabawa pledged to incorporate persons with disabilities into its preparedness plans, educate children on disaster prevention and share the knowledge acquired during the training with other residents.
It also identified household vulnerability registers, emergency kits and accessible early-warning systems as practical measures for improving safety and strengthening responses to floods, fires and other emergencies.
The community expressed appreciation to traditional leaders, including the Hakimi of Kabawa and Sarkin Noma, as well as representatives of Adankolo, Gadumo and Ganaja Village, and the Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, for supporting efforts to promote inclusive disaster preparedness.
It further commended persons with disabilities, women, youths and community volunteers for their participation and commitment to building safer and more resilient communities.
Other institutions acknowledged for their support included the Kogi State Ministries of Health and Environment; National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA); National Orientation Agency (NOA); Federal Road Safety Corps; Nigerian Navy; Nigerian Red Cross Society; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps; and Federal Fire Service.
The community called for sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, traditional leaders and residents to ensure that disaster risk reduction initiatives translate into practical action at the household and community levels.
It reaffirmed its commitment to extending disaster preparedness beyond individual households to the wider Lokoja Local Government Area and Kogi State.
The message, signed by Alhaji Idris on behalf of the Kabawa Community Disaster Risk Reduction Committee, concluded with a call for collective responsibility in building safer, stronger and more inclusive communities.
It reiterated that resilience starts at home, starts in Kwabawa and must include persons with disabilities.
