LAGOS GOVT WARNS RESIDENTS AGAINST HOAX EMERGENCY CALLS

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The Lagos State government has warned residents to desist from placing prank and nuisance calls which strains resources and impede on the time that would have been expended on genuine emergencies.

The General Manager, Lagos State Command and Control Centre (LSCCC), Mr Femi Giwa, gave the warning while speaking to newsmen at a three-day National SEMA Conference in Lagos, with the theme: “Strengthening Sub-National Emergency Management for a Resilient Nigeria”.

He appealed to Lagos residents to desist from fake emergency calls as they put lives at risk.“Response time is very important in saving lives. When residents make false calls, they block genuine callers from reaching emergency lines. This delays first responders and affects the golden hour, that crucial window between life and death.

Furthermore, the LSCCC Boss also urged other states to build stronger institutions, adopt technology and foster collaboration to improve emergency management across Nigeria.

He noted that disasters are often random and unavoidable but with adequate preparedness, states could reduce their impact. He reiterated that the objective of the conference is to improve overall incident management in Nigeria.

Giwa further stated that disasters occur when hazard, risk and vulnerability converge, and this is frequent across states. Hence, the SEMA Conference provides an opportunity for emergency managers and agencies to share ideas and chart an efficient pathway for disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, ultimately building a resilient Nigeria.

He added that effective disaster management rests on collaboration, strong institutions, and adequate infrastructure, stressing that no single agency can respond effectively without collective effort.

“Emergency management depends on collaboration. For example, when a building collapses, it takes firefighters, LASBCA, medical responders, and others working together; If the institutions are not well equipped and their capacity is not built, it becomes very difficult. It is not rocket science, we must invest in institutions, capacity-building, and infrastructure,” he explained.

Giwa urged states governments lagging behind to explore innovative funding options, including community engagement and partnerships with the private sector.

He also encouraged them to leverage ICT for predictive analytics, data gathering, and improved coordination.