Resilience Starts at Home: Disaster

@Resilience Starts at Home: Disaster Preparedness Must Become Our Culture, Not Our Afterthought

A disaster does not always announce its arrival. Sometimes, it begins with a neglected electrical fault, a blocked drainage channel, an unsafe building, a careless act or a warning we chose to ignore. By the time we realise the danger, the price of our negligence may already be devastating. As we commemorate the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2026 under the theme “Resilience Starts at Home,” we must confront a powerful truth: saving lives begins long before disaster strikes.

Resilience is not merely the ability to survive a disaster; it is the wisdom to anticipate danger, the discipline to prepare and the courage to act responsibly. Every household should understand basic first aid, keep emergency contacts accessible, know safe evacuation routes and take warnings seriously. In our Nigerian communities, we must stop treating blocked gutters, indiscriminate waste disposal, unsafe buildings, fire hazards and flood-prone environments as normal features of life. What we tolerate today may become the tragedy we mourn tomorrow.

As a member of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, I recognise that humanitarian service is not only about responding when people are bleeding, displaced, hungry or homeless. It is also about educating communities, preventing avoidable suffering and empowering ordinary people to become first responders in moments of crisis. Our schools, homes, religious institutions, workplaces and community associations must become centres of safety awareness. Young people, especially, must rise beyond social media conversations to become advocates for preparedness, environmental responsibility and community protection.

Today, let every family make safety a priority, every community turn preparedness into collective responsibility and every government invest in early warning systems, disaster education and resilient infrastructure. Let us remember that the value of preparedness is measured not by the disaster we discuss, but by the lives we save when danger comes. A resilient nation is not built only by the emergency workers who respond to disasters; it is built by citizens who refuse to be careless with life. Resilience starts at home, grows through community action and becomes a national strength when we all take responsibility.

Yours in fulfilment,

@Otunba Dr Femi Abiola, MCE

@President

@Project Youth Fulfil

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