IDDRR 2026: ADDRF Takes Disaster Risk Reduction Awareness Campaign To Kaduna School

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Agerume Development and Disaster Relief Foundation (ADDRF) embarked on a disaster communication roundtable to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) in Kaduna on Tuesday.

​The one-day sensitization awareness program, with the theme ‘Resilience Starts at Home’ held at Victory Academy, Kakuri, Kaduna, attracted students, civil society organizations (CSOs), media practitioners, and other stakeholders.

Speaking about the event, the convener and Executive Director of ADDRF—an organization dedicated to restoring hope and dignity to humanity—Ambassador Cletus Okoh, highlighted the special significance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

​”It is in line with the situation we have in our society, particularly in our communities,” Ambassador Okoh said.

​”We align with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Today, the 13th of October, is set aside to celebrate and look into such incidents of disaster. This year’s theme looks at ‘Resilience Starts at Home,’ and we were very concerned and interested in reaching out to students and young people.

​”That is why, in line with our relationship with Victory Academy, we came down here, bringing our distinguished personalities—including our keynote speaker, Dr. Bukola Aluko-Olukun. She is a mother and a woman devoted to her faith, and we wanted to address not only structural issues, but also moral issues. So, we brought her in to talk to the young people from another dimension, using disaster as a tool. That is what we have done today.”

On behalf of ADDRF President Engineer Dr. Paul Ager, who was unavoidably absent, Ambassador Okoh thanked the school management of Victory Academy, Kakuri, Kaduna, for the opportunity. He also expressed gratitude to the team of facilitators, keynote speakers, and panelists for unlocking the potential of the youth through their discussions, as well as the journalistic team—Frederick Peters and Monday Faruna—for covering the event.

​”I want to thank you so much; we appreciate everyone, including the students who came,” he added. “We will take our message back, and we look forward to exploring practical areas so we can begin something with Victory Academy and possibly take it from here to other institutions in the future.”

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​The Proprietor of Victory Academy, Kaduna, Mr. Gabriel A. Young, praised the initiative, stating, “In fact, the program held today was an excellent program that has further opened eyes concerning disaster management, and the children have gained a lot. Initially, I do not think they knew anything concerning that before, but now, awareness has been created, and they are going to make judicious use of what they learned today. It was so interesting, and I appreciate you people for this kind gesture and for hosting this program in my school today.”

​Mr. Young expressed his willingness to sustain the momentum: “Definitely, we would like to see more of this again. We will enhance it by putting what we learned today into practice, elaborating on it, and letting the children know what to do concerning disaster management.”

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Reflecting on the theme of proactive versus reactive means of reducing disaster, Keynote Speaker and Chief Executive Officer of Herald Associates Limited, Dr. Bukola Aluko-Olukun, emphasized the role of households.

​”These proactive measures should start from the home and from the children themselves,” Dr. Aluko-Olukun said. “We have been able to pass the message to let the children know that we need to move away from reacting to issues only when disasters occur.

​”We should be proactive, which means we should put things in motion and action so that when these disasters do occur, we can easily recover on time, rather than allowing victims to suffer for a long time before relief materials arrive. While we cannot actually prevent disasters in the literal sense, we can mitigate their effects on our lives.”

​Commending the decision to target young people, she added, “This program is very commendable because we need to sensitize the young ones. We need them to know that the risk goes beyond hazards and disasters, and that they have a role to play. We need them to disseminate information among themselves, with peers from other schools, and take it home so their parents can also be aware and prepare for such eventualities.

​”It is a commendable thing that we are catching them young and creating awareness so that as they grow up to become engineers, constructors, or professionals of any kind, they can come up with innovative means of combating disasters using technology. Since many of them are computer-savvy, they need to tap into these resources.”

​Speaking on “Climate, Environment, and Informal Settlements,” Mrs. Ozafize Ojoru from the Works and Services Department of Kaduna Polytechnic explained how poor drainage, deforestation, and informal settlements contribute to disasters.

​”The rainfall in itself is not a disaster; what constitutes the disaster is where the water goes and how poorly human activities around it are managed,” Mrs. Ojoru said. “It is essential that we build drainages, and people should not build in low-level areas. Before you build, you must understand the topographic nature of the land. These are things that can constitute disasters tomorrow, so we must take preventive measures.

​”Unfortunately, in Nigeria and this part of the world, we often resort to corrective measures, and as a result, properties and lives are lost. So it is essential we try as much as possible to prevent them.”

​Addressing how to sustain advocacy beyond lecture halls, she added: “Beautiful enough, we are in the era of technology where we can always relate information. As the media rightly noted at this event, it is not enough to put information out there—we must verify that it is genuine. We told the audience today that they should not keep what they have heard to themselves. They should speak to their neighbors and family members and step it down. Change begins with us.”

​Also speaking at the event, Medical Laboratory Scientist John Patrick addressed “Genotype Compatibility and Family Resilience: The Role of Aspiring Couples in Preventing Sickle Cell Disease or Crisis.”

​”As Nigerians, we are among the leading populations when it comes to sickle cell disease, yet it is a highly preventable condition,” Mr. Patrick said. “We looked at what we can do to prevent this disease, referencing the recent case in Yobe State at the Federal Medical Center, Nguru, where the Medical Director lost her two beautiful daughters to sickle cell disease.

​”What do we do to prevent this? We should know our genotype. For intending couples, it is advisable that if both partners are carriers, they should not get married, because the probability of having a child with sickle cell is very high. We believe that when people are enlightened, we will be able to prevent sickle cell disease.”

​He also expressed satisfaction with the audience engagement: “I was highly impressed by the response of the students. From the questions they asked, it was clear they were following along and were inquisitive to learn more.”

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​Sharing her perspective and experience, Hajara Muhammad—an SS3 Science student and the health prefect of Victory Academy—said, “Honestly, I cannot express my feelings right now because I got educated and enlightened on things I did not know before. Before today, I wanted to become a physiotherapist, but after hearing about quantity surveying and seeing the people I now take as mentors, it pulled me in. I feel like I want to be a quantity surveying professional because of the opportunities and the role models I saw.

​”We also learned a lot about our environment, how to prevent disasters, and many other things. Honestly, I am really happy.

​”I have plenty of things to take home, such as checking for naked wires around the house, escape routes, fire extinguishers, and how to improve drainage systems to prevent flooding.”