NEC Gives Green Light to Flooding Mitigation Funds

The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the release of funds to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to mitigate the impact of flooding across the country.

Finance Minister Wale Edun announced the decision after the NEC meeting chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Thursday.

The funding will be directed towards bolstering flood preparedness and disaster response efforts, given forecasts of heavier-than-usual rainfall in the coming season.

Edun reiterated that the move aims to prevent the devastation seen in previous years and ensure timely intervention by frontline agencies and state governments.

“Flooding is a shared challenge and requires a whole-of-society approach. All tiers of government must be fully involved, from enforcement of planning laws to equipping emergency response teams,” he said.

The resources will be allocated to NEMA and federal ministries of water resources, environment, budget and economic planning, and state emergency management agencies (SEMAs), including the FCT.

To deepen response capabilities at the grassroots, NEC directed the establishment and activation of local emergency management committees in all Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Persecondnews reports that the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Atiku Bagudu, also announced the launch of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme to establish jobs across 8,809 wards in the country.

“Having stabilised the macro economy, the next step is to drill development down to the lowest levels so that, in all 8,809 wards, we can stimulate economic activity that will generate employment, reduce poverty, enhance food security, and strengthen social protection,” Bagudu said.

The programme aims to invest collaboratively in the creative energy of Nigerians in every ward, with the goal of reducing poverty and food insecurity, he said.

Bagudu noted that the programme is the natural next step after achieving macroeconomic stability.

The NEC members comprise the 36 state governors, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other senior government officials.