There is a skill we rarely list on our CVs but cannot afford to live without: PREPAREDNESS.
Does preparedness have anything to do with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Absolutely! Preparedness is essential to achieving them.At the heart of sustainable development is a simple principle: Don’t wait for disaster before you prepare. As the popular saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
Here is how preparedness connects to the SDGs.
1. SDG 3.d — Health Preparedness
SDG 3.d emphasises strengthening countries’ capacity for early warning, risk reduction, and the management of national and global health risks.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the consequences of inadequate preparedness. Other public health threats, including cholera, Lassa fever, and the risk of Ebola outbreaks, remind us that preparedness must be continuous.
Are our healthcare systems equipped to detect and respond to emerging threats? Are our healthcare professionals adequately trained and equipped? Do we have effective early-warning systems, emergency supplies, and response plans?
When health systems are unprepared, lives are put at risk.
2. SDG 11.5 and 11.b — Disaster and City Preparedness
SDG 11.5 focuses on reducing deaths and economic losses caused by disasters, while SDG 11.b promotes integrated policies and plans for disaster resilience.
Flooding occurs repeatedly in parts of Nigeria. Yet, every rainy season raises familiar questions: Are our communities prepared? Are our drainage systems adequate? Do residents know what to do during emergencies?
What about our workplaces and public buildings? Are fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, emergency exits, and trained personnel available when needed?
Preparedness is not merely having emergency equipment. It is ensuring that people know how to use it.
3. SDG 13.1 — Climate Preparedness
Climate change will not send you an invitation before it strikes.
SDG 13.1 calls for strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
Are our farmers prepared for droughts and changing rainfall patterns? Do we have adequate grain storage facilities and effective food-preservation systems? Are our communities prepared for extreme weather?
Climate resilience requires forward planning, investment in adaptation, effective early-warning systems, and measures to safeguard food security.
We cannot afford to wait until the harvest fails before we start thinking about food security.
4. SDG 16 — Institutional Preparedness
Strong institutions are prepared institutions.
Weak institutions spend too much time firefighting because they lack the systems, structures, and foresight required to prevent avoidable crises.
Organisations need to plan ahead, train their staff, establish emergency-response procedures, develop business-continuity plans, and set aside adequate emergency funds.
Preparedness should not begin when a crisis occurs. It should be built into the organisation’s culture.
BUT PREPAREDNESS GOES BEYOND THESE SDGs.
It powers progress across the entire sustainable development agenda.
No preparedness, no meaningful progress towards SDG 1 — No Poverty.
A household without emergency savings is more vulnerable to job loss, unexpected medical bills, and other financial shocks.
No preparedness, no meaningful progress towards SDG 2 — Zero Hunger.
A food system without adequate storage, preservation, and distribution mechanisms is more vulnerable to waste, shortages, and food insecurity.
No preparedness, no meaningful progress towards SDG 4 — Quality Education.
Think about that classmate who guarded their notes as though sharing them would diminish their chances of success.
Years later, we see the same behaviour in the workplace, where some people hoard information, withhold knowledge, and make themselves indispensable by ensuring that others remain uninformed.
But that is not necessarily competitiveness. Sometimes, it reflects a failure to prepare for collective success.
In secondary school, we had to learn that another person’s understanding did not diminish our own knowledge. In the workplace, we must learn that another person’s growth does not diminish our value.
Prepared people share. Insecure people hoard.Knowledge sharing, mentorship, collaboration, and capacity building are all forms of preparedness. They help build stronger teams, more resilient organisations, and more sustainable communities.
MY TAKE-HOME THIS WEEK
Preparedness is not fear. Preparedness is leadership.
It is anticipating challenges before they become crises.
It is developing yourself before your skills become obsolete.
It is saving before an emergency arises.
It is learning CPR before someone collapses.
It is sharing knowledge before a colleague struggles unnecessarily.
It is building systems that continue to function even when circumstances change.
And, perhaps most importantly, it is preparing yourself not just to survive but also to help others thrive.
Be prepared to be human. Be prepared to share. Be prepared to help.
That is how we turn the SDGs from global aspirations into everyday realities.
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