Early Warning Systems: CISLAC Urges Collaboration Among Security Agencies

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for collaboration among security agencies and other relevant stakeholders in Nigeria on Early Warning/Early Response (EWER) issues to avert impending disasters.

CISLAC made the call in Enugu on Friday at a one-day workshop with support from the Open Society Foundation Africa (OSF-Africa) for security agencies and other relevant groups. It noted that most relevant bodies do not take the issue of early warning signs very seriously.

The workshop has as its theme ‘Strengthening inter-agency collaboration against threats: Navigating the National Security Strategy.”

The workshop, which was aimed at improving coordination, collaboration and communication among security agencies in Nigeria in the areas of Early Warning/Early Response, was attended by personnel of the Nigerian police force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Security Service, civil society groups, and journalists, amongst others.

Meanwhile, CISLAC says, while early warning and conflict prediction are central concepts in conflict prevention, an effective early warning/early response (EWER) system must have strong connection between civil society and key stakeholders, such as policymakers, to elicit positive responses.

It further opined that conflict prevention requires careful monitoring of indicators of measures taken to nip it in the bud to avoid escalation.

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Speaking at the workshop, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, stated that: “Early response systems are the timely and appropriate prevention initiatives, usually undertaken when violent conflict looks likely”

“This can only be effective through enhanced communication, collaboration and coordination among relevant institutions towards peace-building

“The workshop aims at bringing under one roof, the security institutions and Ministry of Defence, leveraging the National Security Strategy as a vehicle to improve Early response perceptions of the benefits and practicalities of sharing information to sister agencies.”

Musa, who spoke through the organization’s programme manager, Jimoh Abubakar, further explained that the workshop was designed to build the capacity of the response institutions within the state for more collaboration, communication, and collective support for early warning and conflict prediction mechanisms.

Musa insisted that most disasters in Nigeria occur because early warning signs are not taken seriously by relevant agencies.

He urged security agencies to always make robust synergy and inter-agency collaboration their primary objectives.