Flood: Federal Govt To Spend N80bn On Damaged Infrastructure

Federal Government has said the number of deaths recorded from the devastating flood across the country has risen to 612 while it will spend N80 billion to fix infrastructure destroyed by the natural disaster.

The minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the federal executive council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

According to her, 3,219,780 persons were affected and 1,427,370 persons displaced.

She said about 154 places had so far been identified that were affected by the flood and that it required over N80 billion to repair the infrastructure in the affected areas.

The minister said the government said that relief materials had been delivered to 22 states, while the Nigerian Air Force would help to airlift the relief materials to Rivers and Bayelsa states where means of transportation to deliver the materials had been a problem.

She said the impact analysis summary of the flood disaster as at 21st October, 2022 showed that 2,776 persons were injured, 181,600 houses partially damaged, 123,807 houses completely damaged as well as 392,399 farmlands totally damaged, adding that all these sadly took place, “despite early warnings and actions coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.”

She said , “The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and agencies under the supervision as well as relevant MDA’s including Ministry of Water Resources, Health, Agriculture and local and humanitarian actors in the country are ramping up activities as stipulated in the recent FEC approved National Food Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, NFEPRP, with a view of providing emergency protection and assistance as well as building their resilience to cope and recover from the situation.

“The FMHADMSD and NEMA are now focused on two strategies on the response phase: search and rescue operations and the provision of lifesaving emergency relief materials for victims.”

She said the search and rescue efforts covered 25 states, 199 local government areas and 1020 communities.

According to her, “Supply of specialized equipment including motorized and inflatable boats to Bayelsa and Kogi states for the purposes of search, rescue, recoveries and evacuation.”