By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved N83.2 billion for early interventions to reduce the impact of flooding and other climate-related disasters across Nigeria.
The approval was granted at the council’s 158th meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, following a presentation by the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu said the approved amount represents 50 per cent of the N166.42 billion requested under the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF), which was established to coordinate proactive responses to flooding and climate emergencies.
Otu said the intervention signals a major shift from Nigeria’s traditional disaster management approach, which often focuses on relief efforts after disasters occur.
“This is the first time, as a nation, that we are taking proactive steps. Most times, we wait until floods have caused significant damage before taking action. This time, we are acting ahead to reduce the potential impact,” he said.
According to him, council members agreed that government must move from reacting to disasters to preventing or minimising their effects.
NEC said the approved funds will support early-warning measures and other interventions aimed at protecting vulnerable communities from anticipated flooding during the rainy season.
The council reduced the original proposal by half to align the intervention with available resources while retaining the capacity to provide additional support if necessary.
