The Office of the National Security Adviser has commenced a five-day multi-agency crisis response exercise in Delta State to assess Nigeria’s preparedness and capacity to respond to complex emergencies and security-related incidents.
The exercise, codenamed Rapid Response 3 Crisis Response Exercise 2026, began in Asaba on Monday and will run until Friday, September 11, bringing together relevant ministries, departments, and agencies involved in crisis management.
The Director, Presidential Command and Control Centre, ONSA, Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Ayo-Vaughan said the exercise was designed to test existing crisis response plans, procedures, coordination mechanisms, and operational capabilities of participating agencies.
He said, “Rapid Response 3 is the codename of the 2026 crisis response exercise organized by the Office of the National Security Adviser. The exercise is a scheduled multi-agency simulation exercise designed to evaluate and strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and capacity to respond effectively to complex emergencies and security-related incidents.”
According to him, the exercise will enhance interagency cooperation, communication, command and control, rapid deployment, and effective management of crisis situations.
He explained that participating agencies would operate within the three established levels of command—Gold, Silver, and Bronze—in line with the National Crisis Management Doctrine.
Ayo-Vaughan said the scenarios had been designed to test the ability of the agencies to respond rapidly, coordinate their efforts, and manage the consequences of a crisis.
He stressed that the exercise was being conducted in a controlled environment and did not represent an actual emergency or security incident.
“This is the first time the Office of the National Security Adviser is conducting the Crisis Response Exercise outside the Federal Capital Territory. All these have been made possible by the support of the governor.
“The locations for this exercise were carefully selected to depict realism. Several reconstructions were conducted to evaluate the suitability of the identified venues for seamless delivery of the exercise, he said.
The exercise, according to Ayo-Vaughan, will be conducted in four phases over five days, with the first two days dedicated to enabler training, Thursday designated as the exercise day, while Friday will be devoted to an after-action review and assessment of lessons learned.
He said observations from stakeholders, observers, exercise planners, and commanders would be documented and used to improve future crisis response exercises.
Ayo-Vaughan also warned members of the public against panic, noting that there would be heavy movements of security vehicles, personnel, and emergency response teams within designated areas as part of the simulation.
He said members of the public had been informed through SMS and radio messages to distinguish the exercise activities from actual emergencies.
“There will be heavy movements of security vehicles, personnel, emergency response teams, and other exercise-related activities within designated areas. These activities are part of the simulation and should not be misconstrued as an actual crisis.
“Accordingly, members of the public have been adequately informed through SMS and radio messages on the exercise and are advised not to panic during the exercise,” he said.
He urged the media to report only verified information and avoid disseminating unconfirmed reports capable of causing public panic.
“The media has an important role in the success of this exercise. Please report only verified information and avoid disseminating unconfirmed reports or information capable of causing public panic,” he said.
He added that only accredited media personnel would be permitted to cover the exercise to ensure responsible reporting in the interest of national security and public safety.
The ONSA official said adequate safety and security measures had also been put in place for participants, observers, accredited journalists, and members of the public within the exercise areas.
