FEC Okays Establishment Of Disaster Relief Funds
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the creation of a Disaster Relief Fund to ensure swift response to disaster victims across the country.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing following the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Fund will draw financial support from the three tiers of government and private sector players to assist flood victims.
Additionally, FEC has established a Technical Committee to reassess dams nationwide, focusing on the Alau Dam in Borno State, where recent floods claimed numerous lives and devastated many areas of Maiduguri, the state capital.
The Minister of Water Resources will chair this committee, with other members included.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), has proposed the construction of five buffer dams to mitigate recurring floods caused by water releases from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
The agency has also advised residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer locations in preparation for the annual floods triggered by the release of water from the Lagdo Dam.
NIHSA identified the flood-prone states as Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
The release of water from the Lagdo Dam follows the recent flooding from the Alau Dam, which claimed over 30 lives and destroyed thousands of homes in Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital.
