Always update disaster recovery plan - Okereke

Senior Manager, Infrastructure Consulting System, Integration and Technology at Accenture Nigeria, Mr. Utokanando Okereke, has counseled Nigerian businesses to always update their disaster recovery plan to cushion the effect of downturn which is inevitable.

Speaking at the 4th Annual NetApp Innovation Conference held recently in Lagos, on “Disaster Recovery (DR) Planning – Are Businesses Prepared?” Okereke noted that a disaster recovery plan outlines how an organization is to deal with potential disasters.

He described disaster as an event that makes the continuation of normal functions impossible whenever it occurs, stressing that this plan usually consists of the precautions taken so that the effects of disaster is minimized and the effected organization is able to either maintain or quickly resume mission-critical functions.

Okereke also explained that disaster could come in several forms including power outages, water damage, terrorism, plane crash, natural forces, health epidemics, fire, major equipment failure, communications failure, human interference such as operator error, dishonest act, sabotage, strike, kidnapping to name a few.

These, he pointed out, are potential disasters that could crumble any business when there is no proper plan in place.

“The Disaster Recovery (DR) plan ensures that organizations are prepared and are able to bounce back to business after any minor or even major disaster,” he said.

He cautioned against the prevalent low level of importance that organizations attach to the issue of disaster in their businesses, which he said has caused so many businesses to close shops in the face of pressure caused by minor disaster.

“DR plan is a must; it should be reassessed, tested and maintained. It should be communicated to all key stakeholders and should have a strong executive management/leadership support and commitment” he submitted.

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