Flood ravaged communities of northeastern Nigeria have been assured of succour as the Dangote-led Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation (PCFRR), commenced the distribution of relief materials, worth N1.5 billion to victims of flooding nationwide.
Established by the Federal Government in the aftermath of the 2012 flooding that rendered hundreds of thousands of people homeless, the PCFRR, is co-chaired by Africa’s foremost industrialist Aliko Dangote and Dr. Olisa Agbakoba.
Flagging off the distribution of the materials at Maiduguri, Borno State capital, the representative of the Dangote-led Presidential Committee, Alhaji Umar Musa Gulani assured that the exercise will be conducted simultaneously in the other five geopolitical zones of the country.
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According to him the items for the distribution have been officially handed over to the Borno State Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for onward distribution to the affected victims.
Gulani said over N10 billion has been expended by the committee to mitigate the effect of flooding since its notable inception in 2012, adding that no fewer than 84 hostels have been built for flood victims in 24 states of Nigeria.
“This private sector-led project is highly commendable and it has been sustained in the past ten years. It is a selfless service from the private sector and Nigerians should appreciate their selfless service to humanity,” he said.
On his part, the Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Habib Ahmed, described the Committee’s intervention as a milestone for Nigeria in general, and flood victims in particular.
“Responding to the humanitarian outcomes of this nature requires concerted effort,” he said, adding that the donation by the Dangote Flood Committee would eventually be made available to flood victims across the affected states in Nigeria.
Receiving the items, Borno State, Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum pledged to ensure that the materials reached the intended beneficiaries while thanking the Dangote Flood Committee for a job well done.
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Checks revealed that the 2022 flood had killed about 600 people, displaced 1.3 million and destroyed more than 82,000 homes in Nigeria, therefore making it the worst in decades.
The breakdown of items donated includes 86 bags of rice, 34 bags of beans, 34 bags of maize, 34 bags of millet, 34 bags of Guinea Corn, 34 bags of Garri, 86 cartons of noodles, 86 cartons of spaghetti, 86 cartons of macaroni and 86 bags of sugar, and 857 bags of cement, among several food and non-food items.