Bureau DG urges accountability in public service

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr Dasuki Arabi

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr Dasuki Arabi has said effective emergency management went beyond responding to incidents after they occurred.

Rather, he stressed the need to build institutions that were prepared, responsive, coordinated and resilient.

Arabi, who also called for stronger institutions, real-time data and improved inter-agency coordination to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters, insisted that the increasing complexities and frequency of emergencies required a coordinated, innovative and technology-driven approach involving government and other stakeholders.

The Bureau DG made this submission at the Annual Emergency Response and Simulation Summit 2026 held recently in Abuja, where he was honoured with an honorary fellowship by the Institute for his contributions to public sector reforms and institutional development.

The summit also witnessed the launch of the ECRMI Real-Time Disaster Data Management System Platform, designed to enhance the use of technology and timely information in emergency management.

According to a press statement obtained on Saturday, Arabi maintained that

such institutions must have the capacity to make timely decisions based on credible information.

According to him, “Accurate, timely and accessible disaster data can strengthen early warning systems, improve resource allocation, facilitate inter-agency coordination and enable decision-makers to respond appropriately to emerging risks.”

Meanwhile, he described the ECRMI platform as an important step towards harnessing technology and information to improve emergency preparedness and response.

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The BPSR boss, however, stressed that technology must be backed by institutional reforms, including clearly defined responsibilities, effective coordination mechanisms, appropriate skills, interoperable systems and accountability frameworks.

Thus, he urged stakeholders to promote responsible information sharing while maintaining high standards of data integrity, security and responsible use.

The fellowship recipient further highlighted that digital transformation, innovation, performance management and institutional capacity development remained critical components of Nigeria’s ongoing public service reform efforts.

He added that emergency and disaster management provided a compelling case for such reforms because delays in decision-making could have significant consequences.

The BPSR DG called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to emergency preparedness and response, involving government institutions, academia, technology companies, development partners, professional bodies, communities and the private sector.

He urged the organisers and other stakeholders to prioritise institutional ownership, interoperability, capacity building, sustainability, data governance and measurable impact.

“The ultimate measure of any digital governance platform should be its ability to improve decision-making, strengthen coordination and deliver better outcomes for citizens,” Arabi said.

While reaffirming the Bureau’s commitment to initiatives promoting efficient institutions, innovation, accountability, digital transformation and improved public service delivery, he expressed confidence that the summit’s deliberations, simulations and engagements would contribute to strengthening Nigeria’s emergency preparedness architecture and building a more resilient society.

The BPSR DG congratulated the organisers on the summit and thanked them for the recognition, while wishing participants fruitful deliberations and a successful launch of the ECRMI Real-Time Disaster Data Management System Platform.