MINSK, 26 February (BelTA) – A delegation of the Ministry of Interior and the Security and Civil Defense Corps of Nigeria led by Minister of Interior Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has visited Belarus. Members of the delegation met with Belarusian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Vashchenko, the Emergencies Ministry press service told BelTA.
The visit to Belarus is viewed as a continuation of the active dialogue the government agencies have maintained since 2019 with a view to advancing business and friendly relations. The two ministers discussed the advancement of bilateral cooperation, personnel training, and materiel support for rescue workers. A memorandum of understanding in preventing emergencies and alleviating their consequences was signed by the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry and the Security and Civil Defense Corps of Nigeria as a result of the visit.
The delegation visited the Civil Protection University of the Emergencies Ministry. Attention was focused on training personnel from Nigeria in the sphere of civil defense and response to emergencies as well as the organization of disaster response and rescue work with regard to all kinds of transportation, in destroyed buildings and high-rise structures. As many as 68 Nigerian specialists have been trained by the university's International Rescuers Training Center (IRTCentre) so far.
Members of the delegation were made familiar with the Belarusian experience of training rescue workers for CIS and non-CIS states. They examined a Belarusian fire truck based on a MAZ chassis, specimens of fire-fighting apparel, gear, and equipment developed with assistance of the ministry's Fire Safety and Emergencies Research Institute.
