The Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) on Monday launched Rapid Response 3 (CRE 2026) in Asaba, Delta, a five-day national crisis response exercise aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s preparedness and inter-agency coordination during complex emergencies.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Director of the Presidential Command and Control Center (DPC4-ONSA), Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, explained that Rapid Response 3 will operate at the Gold, Silver and Bronze command levels and will be executed in four phases.
According to him, “pre-exercise briefing, facilitative training for participating components, the main Exercise Day (D-Day) and an after-action review to capture lessons learned.
“This is a scheduled multi-agency simulation designed to evaluate and strengthen our ability to respond effectively to complex emergencies,”
Ayo-Vaughan added that the “exercise is a simulation and does not represent a real emergency.”
For the first time, ONSA organizes the crisis exercise outside the territory of the Federal Capital. The move to Asaba was made possible with the support of Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
He commended the Governor for prioritizing the safety of lives and property.
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The Director said the locations were selected after reconnaissance to ensure realism, and the exercise will involve large movements of security and emergency response vehicles and personnel within the designated areas.
He further added that the public has been notified by SMS and radio, urging them not to panic if they see an increase in activity.
According to him, only accredited media will be able to cover on-site activities to guarantee responsible information and protect operational security.
He urged journalists to verify information before publication, clearly distinguish exercise activities from actual incidents, and contact the exercise coordinator or designated media liaison for inquiries.
He assured that adequate security measures have been implemented for participants, observers and the public, noting that the objectives of the exercise include improving communication, inter-agency command and control, rapid deployment and effective crisis management.
“Feedback from stakeholders and commanders will be incorporated into a final lessons report that will inform future exercises.”
The exercise will begin on Friday, September 11, 2026 and will bring together Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to test plans, procedures and command structures as per the National Crisis Management Doctrine..
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