ONSA Takes Crisis Response Exercise To Delta For The First Time
Nigeria is taking its national crisis-response preparations beyond Abuja for the first time, as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) begins a five-day emergency simulation exercise in Asaba, Delta State.
The 2026 Rapid Response 3 (RR3) exercise, which started on Monday and runs until Friday, September 11, brings together security agencies, emergency responders, government ministries, departments and agencies, strategic partners and other stakeholders to test the country’s readiness for complex emergencies.
According to ONSA, the exercise is the seventh national crisis-response simulation it has organised, but the first to be held outside the Federal Capital Territory.
Director of the Presidential Command and Control Centre and Exercise Director, Rear Admiral Ayo-Vaughan, said the exercise would test existing response plans, strengthen inter-agency coordination and expose gaps requiring improvement.
Two simulated crisis scenarios will be staged at Asaba International Airport and along the Benin-Asaba Expressway, with participants operating under the Gold, Silver and Bronze command structure of the National Crisis Management Doctrine.
The exercise will also test communication and information-sharing systems, command and control arrangements and the ability of participating agencies to respond effectively.
ONSA has urged residents not to panic over the increased presence of security and emergency personnel, stressing that the activities are controlled simulations and not actual emergencies.
The agency also appealed to the media to rely only on verified information and avoid reports that could cause unnecessary public alarm.
Lessons from the exercise will be documented and used to strengthen Nigeria’s national crisis-management architecture and improve future multi-agency responses.
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