The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has provided over 100,000 food and non-food items to assist victims of recent floods in Nigeria’s Northeast.
The Commission has also offered emergency relief for those affected by the devastating flood that hit Maiduguri and its surroundings.
The Managing Director of the NEDC, Mr. Mohammed Alkali, announced this at the Commission’s headquarters on Wednesday. He stated that the relief items would be distributed across the 18 senatorial districts and 48 federal constituencies in the region.
The relief package includes 200,000 bags of rice, 150,000 cartons of spaghetti and macaroni, 250,000 cartons of vegetable oil, 200,000 blankets, 200,000 mats, 50,000 pieces of brocade for men, 50,000 wrappers, 65,000 children’s clothes, and 275,000 treated mosquito nets.
Additionally, specific relief will be provided to those affected by the recent flood in Maiduguri, caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam in Konduga. These victims will receive 10,000 bags of rice, 10,000 cartons of spaghetti, 15,000 branded mats, 15,000 blankets, 10,000 pieces of brocade and wrappers, 5,000 cartons of cooking oil, and 7,500 children’s clothes.
Alkali also mentioned that the Commission is planning to visit Gombe to assess a collapsed bridge and rehabilitate it. He explained that the distribution of these relief items will follow political structures.
While this is a short-term intervention, the Commission is also working on medium and long-term development plans for the region.
Regarding the Alau Dam, the NEDC has awarded a contract for its repair, and they plan to review the contract for a complete overhaul to prevent future incidents. Alkali highlighted that the Commission has recently cleared 150,000 meters of drainage in Maiduguri and fumigated the affected areas.
Meanwhile, Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betara, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has donated N100 million to support the victims of the Maiduguri flood.
Betara, who represents the Biu/Bayo/Shani and Kwaya Kusar Federal Constituency in Borno State, made this donation during an assessment of the flood disaster. He expressed sorrow for the loss of lives and displacement caused by the flood and assured that further interventions would be made to assist the victims.
Reports from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) indicate that 37 deaths have been recorded due to the Maiduguri floods. Across Nigeria, 29 states and 172 local government areas have been affected by flooding, impacting over a million people, displacing over 625,000, and resulting in 259 deaths.