Assessment of Public Perception of Disaster Management in Lagos State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
Community engagement, Disaster, Perception, ResponseAbstract
Lagos metropolis is growing with a fast rate of urbanization. Disaster management in such areas requires a collaborative effort between service providers and the public. Inefficiencies in mitigation and response arise in the absence of such synergy. This study thus examined the perception and attitude of residents in Lagos State, Nigeria on disaster management. As a basis, emergency cases responded to by LASEMA from 2010-2022 were analyzed. The distribution of emergency service providers in the study area was also established. Data was acquired from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, GRID 3 portal, and a social survey conducted with the use of 203 copies of the questionnaire systematically administered. A total of 780 incidents were reported within the period for the selected sites, the highest number recorded from Ikeja, the state capital. Thirty-seven (37) state-owned hospitals, 9 fire stations, 4 LRU facilities and 38 police facilities were identified. Most of the residents interviewed perceived disaster management as solely the responsibility of government. About 32% of the respondents had experienced at least one emergency incident in the last five years, flooding being the most occurring. Less than 10% of these were however reported, the trust deficit in the capacity of service providers was blamed for this. Respondents’ involvement in community disaster management was also less than 30%, while unresponsive government was identified as the challenge to being more pro-active. Improved community engagement and service delivery by providers amongst others, were recommended to address these issues.
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