FIC REPORT (LAGOS STATE) – Lagos State’s Office of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sat down with a delegation from the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) this week for a strategic engagement aimed at strengthening the state’s disaster resilience and sharpening how it finances recovery from climate shocks.
The Permanent Secretary in the Office of SDGs used the session to reaffirm the state’s commitment to innovative, sustainable and data-driven approaches to managing climate and disaster risk, pressing the case for stronger disaster risk financing mechanisms that can protect livelihoods, speed up recovery and build communities better able to withstand future shocks.
That position found an ally in the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), who stressed that effective disaster preparedness and recovery cannot rest on government alone — arguing instead for tighter collaboration among government, development partners, the insurance industry, communities and other stakeholders if the state is to get ahead of flooding and other climate-related risks rather than simply reacting to them.
Much of the engagement was given over to comparing notes: participants traded experiences, worked through gaps in the current approach and explored practical strategies for deepening disaster risk financing and building resilience for the long haul, with flooding — a recurring threat in Lagos — front of mind throughout.
The UNU-EHS delegation, led by Dr Habeeb Okunola and Ms Sarin Oh, came away impressed, commending the Lagos State team for the depth of expertise and hands-on experience it brought to the table.
The engagement drew a broad cross-section of the state’s disaster and environmental apparatus, with representatives of the Ministries of Environment and Finance, LASEMA, the Lagos State Resilience Office and the Office of Drainage Services all taking part.
Sourced
Kareem Zainab Ibiyemi
22/ 09 / 2026.
