Yobe State and Plan International Launch Disaster Workshop

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), in collaboration with Plan International Nigeria, initiated a three-day capacity building workshop on August 14, 2026, in Damaturu, Yobe State capital. This workshop aims to strengthen emergency preparedness and embed disaster risk reduction (DRR) into the state’s fiscal planning.

It gathered stakeholders including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), social media influencers, and officials from the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Planning, indicating a recognition that disaster resilience is a governance and budgetary issue. Dr. Muhammed Ibrahim Jalo, Director of Search and Rescue Operations at YOSEMA, emphasized the need for proactive disaster management rather than reactive responses, advocating for investments in prevention and resilience-building.

Mr. Mathew Aliyu, a program officer with Plan International Nigeria, noted that the workshop is part of a 12-year initiative to secure resources for disaster reduction, urging government commitment to allocate budget lines for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and DRR. Presentations focused on the roles of legislatures and CSOs in financing disaster risk management in Yobe State.