Society Inducts New Members, Tasks Nigerians On Proactive Approach To Risk Management
The Risk Managers Society of Nigeria (RIMSON) has called on Nigerians to abandon the reactionary response and embrace a culture anticipation to disaster management
RIMSON made the call during the celebration of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) held in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on Monday.
The theme of the celebration is ‘Move from a Culture of Reaction to a Culture of Anticipation’.
The event, held at the Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies, University of Port Harcourt, featured the induction of new Fellows and Associate Members into the Society.
The event also featured the induction of new members and Fellows of the Society.
Dr Abbas Idriss, the National President of RIMSON, who delivered the keynote address said the significance of the day was beyond a date on the calendar.
Idriss said RIMSON was joining the global community to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
He said communities around the world were facing an unprecedented escalation of risks ranging from climate-induced catastrophes to systemic economic shocks.
Idriss said the theme for this year’s celebration was a reminder that disasters were not always natural, but human vulnerability to them is often a choice of design.
“Our task, therefore, is to move from a culture of reaction to a culture of anticipation,” he said.
Dr Idriss said RIMSON’s objectives are perfectly aligned with the global mandate for resilience which was to promote the consciousness of risk management in all sectors of our national life.
He said the collaboration with institutions such as the Centre for Disaster Risk Management in UniPort was to bridge the gap between academic research and professional practice and ensure that Nigeria was better prepared for the uncertainties of tomorrow.
The RIMSON President welcomed the new inductees saying that becoming a Fellow or an Associate of RIMSON was not a destination but a higher calling to service.
The inductees included Lady (Dr.) Adaora Ogochukwu Chukwudozie, Chairman of the Board of Keystone Bank Limited and Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, South East Zone
Idriss tasked them on integrity, professionalism, visionary leadership and empathy saying they should never lose sight of the human element because behind every disaster statistic was a human life, a family or a community.
He thanked the University of Port Harcourt for being a beacon of knowledge in disaster studies and welcomed the new members into what he described as the inner chamber of excellence.
“Let us go forth from here, not just as certificate holders, but as architects of a safer, more resilient Nigeria,” he said.
RIMSON is the premier professional body for risk management in Nigeria, dedicated to promoting risk awareness, professional standards, and sustainable, risk-informed development across all sectors of the national economy.
