The Federal Executive Council has approved the creation of a Disaster Relief Fund to ensure a timely and effective response to disaster victims across the nation.
This strategy will allow for timely relief and recovery activities across the country, expediting assistance for communities impacted by floods, fires, and other emergencies.
Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, announced this on Monday while briefing State House Correspondents shortly after the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Edun said, “The Fund will source finances from the three tiers of government and private sector players for flood victims.”
The minister also announced that the council has formed a Technical Committee to examine dams across the country, including the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State’s capital.
According to Edun, the Minister of Water Resources, Professor Joseph Utsev, will chair the committee, which will also include other members.
Maiduguri was flooded two weeks ago as a result of the collapse of the Alau Dam, a crucial infrastructure that regulates water flow and provides agriculture and drinking water.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency, more than 70% of Borno’s state capital was swamped by the fast-moving water, displacing over a million people and killing 30.
