The National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday, presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, has mandated all 36 states to submit inventory of destruction caused by flooding on or before September 9.
At the 143rd Economic Council meeting at the State House in Abuja, Persecondnews reports, the council noted that the floods have particularly devastated the northeast, severing critical routes between Kano and Maiduguri, resulting in significant loss of life and property as well as widespread damage to infrastructure, schools, and farmland.
Speaking to State House correspondents, the Governor of Bauchi State, Mr. Bala Mohammed, said council members delibrated on the federal government’s release of N3 billion to support flood relief efforts.
Mohammed said the council emphasised the urgent need for enhanced food security measures, highlighting that submerged farmlands will impact harvest yields.
He said: “The flood was more devastating along the north-east axis, where a major artery between Kano and Maiduguri has been cut off, with devastating effects on households, schools, bridges, and other means of livelihood.
“Lives were lost, and a lot of properties were also destroyed. Of course that has really provided a big challenge to us as a government and as a people in our states because we need to provide more of food security.
“Already, farmlands are already submerged, and therefore there is a need for collaboration between all the tiers of government to ensure food security.
“There is need for planning, collaboration, and interaction to do that during the harvest time because the bumper harvest may not be as envisaged.
“So the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and all our subnational ministries are supposed to collaborate and ensure that something comprehensive is done,” Mohammed said.
He added that as a result of the devastation, the council has given the states until Monday to submit an inventory of destruction.
Nasarawa Gov. Abdullahi Sule said the council established a governance structure to ensure the interventions will not be ad hoc.
He disclosed that the flood committee was reconstituted, and new members are governors of Kogi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa, and Jigawa states.
Others are Minister of Water Resources, Minister of State for Water Resources, Minister of State for Environment, DG Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), DG Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), DG National Water Resources Institute (NNWRI), MD/CEO National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), MD of North East Development Commission (NEDC), DG National Emergency Management Agency (NNEMA), and DG New Nigeria Development Company Limited (NNDC).
Sule said: “The council has decided that by Monday will be the deadline for all the states of the Federation to submit details of damages, including farms, schools, and barges that have been affected by the last flood, and the chairman mentioned it will be taken into consideration for appropriate support to the various states.
“So these are the new very strong membership of the flood committee that will continue to address council henceforth.”
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