The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of a Disaster Relief Fund to ensure a swift response to disaster victims nationwide.
This was disclosed by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, on Monday during a briefing with State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The fund will draw financial support from all three tiers of government and private sector contributors, specifically to assist flood victims.
In addition, FEC has set up a Technical Committee to reassess the country’s dams, with particular focus on the Alau Dam in Borno State, where a recent flood claimed numerous lives in Maiduguri, the state capital. The Minister of Water Resources will lead the committee, which includes other members.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), has proposed constructing five buffer dams to mitigate recurring floods caused by the release of water from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam.
NIHSA also advised residents living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer zones ahead of expected floods, which are a yearly consequence of the Lagdo Dam water release. The flood-prone states include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
The Lagdo Dam water release comes just days after floods from the overflowing Alau Dam claimed over 30 lives and destroyed thousands of homes in Maiduguri, Borno State.