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A senior official of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has completed an international training programme aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness and response systems.
Maude Nabie Turay, Principal Officer in the Directorate of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, participated in the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme) on Strategic Disaster Management and Response for Middle Managers, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from June 21 to 27, 2026.
The programme brought together mid-level disaster management professionals from multiple countries to enhance skills in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, coordination of response operations, and resilience building through international knowledge exchange.
According to NDMA, the training began with an educational tour of key heritage and historical sites in Kuala Lumpur, designed to provide participants with a broader understanding of Malaysia’s national development and cultural context.
The official opening session was led by the Director General of Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency (National Disaster Management Agency (Malaysia)), followed by technical orientations facilitated by the Malaysian Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management (Malaysian Centre of Excellence for Disaster Management).
Participants were introduced to Malaysia’s disaster governance framework, including its Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2030, the Incident Command System, and national coordination structures for emergency management.
The programme also featured expert-led panel discussions focusing on disaster monitoring and forecasting, emergency leadership, community-based disaster risk management, resilient urban planning, and multi-agency collaboration under Malaysia’s Rakan NADMA initiative.
As part of the practical exposure, participants visited key operational centres including the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART Team Malaysia) base, the National Disaster Command Centre (National Disaster Command Centre), and the headquarters of Malaysia’s disaster management authority.
They also toured the SMART Tunnel Control Centre, an advanced flood mitigation and traffic management facility, as well as the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot).
Speaking after the training, Maude Nabie Turay said the programme provided practical insights that will support improved disaster management operations in Sierra Leone. She noted that Malaysia’s integrated system of coordination, preparedness, and community resilience offers useful models that can be adapted to strengthen NDMA’s work.
The NDMA said the training is part of its ongoing efforts to build staff capacity through international partnerships and technical cooperation aimed at improving national disaster preparedness and response effectiveness.
