Nigeria: National Disaster Risk Management Policy (2018)

This National Disaster Risk Management Policy document outlines Government’s policy direction regarding the current challenges to reducing the risks from hazards facing the country. It also articulates the renewed commitment of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to disaster risk reduction. The Policy outlines a streamlined set of guidelines for decision making regarding what needs to be done to achieve desirable outcomes in DRM. The Policy guides the development and implementation of disaster management policy and programmes at State and local government level to achieve the government’s priorities, in particular the promotion of safer, and more secure and resilient communities.

The priorities of the National Disaster Risk Management Policy are to:

• Expand awareness and understanding of disaster risk
• Strengthen multi-stakeholder governance systems for DRM 
• Enhance preparedness capacity to reduce exposure, vulnerability and impacts of hazard events or conditions 
• Increase social, economic and environmental investments to strengthen resilience to disasters through hazard risk reduction