The Central Regional Minister, Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah has called on the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to shift its operational focus from largely responding to disasters to strengthening preventive strategies that would reduce the occurrence and impact of emergencies in communities.

He emphasised that disaster management in the country should evolve beyond the distribution of relief items to a more proactive system grounded in risk reduction, enforcement of regulations and sustained public education.

Training

He made the call at the opening of a three day leadership and capacity building training programme organised for Metropolitan, Municipal and District (MMD) Directors and their deputies of NADMO in the Central Region in Cape Coast.

The event was on the theme “Resetting NADMO for Improved Performance in Disaster Resilience.”

“If we continue to respond only after disasters strike, we will keep spending scarce resources on relief items.

What we must do as an institution is to invest in prevention, strengthen enforcement of building regulations and educate our people on the risks associated with unsafe environmental practices,” he stated.

The minister stressed the importance of continuous public education as a key pillar in disaster risk reduction, noting that many disasters in the country could be avoided if communities were well informed about safety measures and environmental responsibilities.

Collaboration

The minister further called for stronger collaboration among NADMO, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and traditional authorities to ensure strict enforcement of building regulations and land use planning.

He added that disaster prevention should be treated as a shared responsibility among government agencies, local authorities and community members, noting that sustainable development could not be achieved without addressing disaster risks.

The Deputy Director-General of NADMO, Dr Hajia Lutfia Saeed Jamel, who represented the Director-General, described the training as a timely initiative aimed at strengthening the operational efficiency and preparedness of staff across the region.

She explained that the training formed part of broader institutional reforms being implemented by the organisation to reposition NADMO as a proactive disaster management agency focused on preparedness, early warning systems and community resilience.

Dr Jamel noted that the increasing frequency of disasters, particularly those linked to climate variability and rapid urbanisation, required a more coordinated and professional response from disaster management institutions.

She added that the organisation was committed to strengthening its emergency response systems, improving communication networks and enhancing collaboration with other stakeholders, including security agencies, health institutions and local authorities.

The Central Regional Administrator of NADMO, Enock Kojo Forson, explained that the training programme was specifically designed to build the leadership and technical capacity of newly appointed directors and their deputies to enable them to effectively coordinate disaster management activities within their respective districts.

According to him, the programme focused on key areas such as disaster risk reduction, emergency response coordination, community mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, leadership and communication skills, as well as the provision of psychosocial support to disaster victims.

Mr Forson emphasised that strengthening the competence of district-level officers was essential to improving the overall performance of the organisation and ensuring timely and coordinated responses to emergencies.