Federal Government to Support Flood-Affected States with N3 Billion
The Federal Government has announced plans to support states affected by flood with N3 billion to mitigate the effects of the disaster. This was disclosed by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, during a meeting with journalists at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday.
According to Edun, the National Economic Council has taken proactive steps to support all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with the N3 billion to mitigate the effects of flood this year. He explained that this move will enable states like Kebbi to prepare their farmers for the dry season farming, which is expected to be successful, well-planned, and well-implemented.
The minister also expressed President Bola Tinubu’s willingness to assist states affected by flood to maintain their level of security, resilience, and productivity, with a view to becoming the food basket of Nigeria.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, appealed to the federal government to assist the state in view of the fact that many rice farmlands in the state had been submerged by the flood. He commended the resilience and confidence of Kebbi people, assuring that they would be mobilised to do better during the dry season farming.
The governor also highlighted the state’s efforts to boost national food security, having distributed fertilisers, seedlings, solar pumps, and CNG pumping machines to over 35,000 farmers free-of-charge. He, however, lamented that the rainy season came with a lot of challenges, with flood destroying farmlands.
The federal government has also approved a Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, which will be used to fund projects such as the Badagry-Sokoto road. The fund will also support irrigation and dam projects, with Kebbi set to host the longest stretch of the road.
The entourage also visited the Dukku Water Treatment Plant in Birnin Kebbi, where they inspected the facilities and discussed ways to improve the state’s agricultural sector.
The N3 billion support package is expected to go a long way in mitigating the effects of flood on states like Kebbi, which is the leading rice farming state in the country. The move is also expected to boost national food security and stabilize the economy.
