Chiamaka Ajeamo

The Risk Managers Society of Nigeria (RIMSON), has called for proactive risk based management of critical national infrastructure including other assets.

This is even as the association also proposed the engagement of qualified risk managers as part of civil service structure.

The President, RIMSON, Raymond Akalonu, speaking at the 2019 national risk management conference with the theme, “Emerging risks: Rising to the challenge,” held in Lagos, said the challenges facing Nigeria, including insecurity and integrity of some of its national assets and infrastructure was a result of absence of proactive risk management processes and solutions.

Akalonu noted that risk appraisal of a wide range of national challenges has shown that governance processes will guarantee greater results if proper risk management procedures are enforced.

He said, “Apart from national infrastructure and assets, so many decision-making processes could be enhanced through effective risk management.

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“Areas such as national budget planning, urban and regional planning, waste management, urban renewal, national population and immigration policy thrusts, sea level control, erosion and other ecological issues require special management strategies.

“National policies on education, national agric policies, monetary and fiscal policies, health and safety policies, and national security policies to mention only a few, remain critical focal points for risk based supervision and control in order to guarantee better results and national development,” he noted.

He further added that the tragic incident of petrol tanker fire incident on Otedola Bridge in Lagos in 2018 and the recent Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State incidents were sordid and avoidable.

“RIMSON made a researched submission to the Lagos State Government in respect of the Otedola Bridge incident. It has remained our expectation that these tanker fire incidents, incidents of collapsed buildings and massive flooding of cities across the country could be risk managed in order avoid their occurrences or provide mitigants to the collateral damages which trail such incidents”, he said.

He thereafter promised that, risk managers will continue to make their expertise and inputs available to government and its agencies.