The former
Chief of Staff, Prosper Bani, has challenged African leaders to invest in
disaster risk prevention to address the continent’s response to unforeseen
crisis due to
the lack of a strategy to link disaster risk
reduction to development initiatives.
He explained that lack of commitment, dedication
and determination were major challenges faced by most African countries which
was impeding their growth and development saying, ” the absence of
preventive infrastructure has caused significant challenges in the development
effort of most African countries”.
Mr Bani
observed that the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction had
reiterated that the importance of policymakers to look at strengthening
institutional frameworks, risk identification, knowledge management,
governance, emergency response and demanded a political commitment, dedication
and determination to addressing comprehensive policies on disaster risk
reduction as part of growth and development plans.
That, he explained, had manifested in “prolonged
droughts, devastating floods, uncontrolled bushfires, landslides, tropical
cyclones, volcanic eruptions, health epidemics, pandemics such as Ebola and the
Coronavirus, affecting sustainable growth and development.
“There is evidence that the world and
Africa, in particular, have been inundated with protocols, action plans, guidelines,
and numerous international agreements on disaster risk reduction, and in
particular how to reduce the risk and impact of disasters, the latest has been
the growth and development of an action plan for Africa following the Sendel
Framework of 2015 which was finalised in 2016.
“African leaders must invest in the
implementation of the action plan which can have mitigated the impact on the
economies of member states during the coronavirus, the plans must articulate
clearly what the challenges are and how they will be addressed.
“It should reflect a verifiable budget and expenditure plan, awareness-raising to bring along the citizenry to become conscious and aware of their responsibilities in the fight to reduce the spread,” Mr Bani stressed. -GNA
