- FG To Spend ₦83.2 Billion To Tackle Flooding Nationwide
- Fund will support early warning and emergency preparedness measures.
- Shettima urged focus on results, production and export growth.
The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the release of ₦83.2 billion from the Anticipatory Action Trust Fund to strengthen Nigeria’s response to recurring flood disasters and other emergencies across the country.
The approval was granted on Thursday during the NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking with journalists after the meeting, Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu disclosed that more than ₦166 billion was initially proposed for the fund. However, the council approved ₦83.2 billion for immediate intervention efforts.
The Anticipatory Action Trust Fund is designed to support preventive measures against flooding, including early warning systems, emergency preparedness programmes and other mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the impact of natural disasters.
Council members stressed that NEC must move beyond responding to disasters after they occur and instead focus on proactive actions that can save lives, protect livelihoods and reduce economic losses.
The approval comes as many parts of the country continue to experience seasonal flooding that has displaced residents, destroyed farmlands and damaged critical infrastructure.
Addressing council members, Vice President Shettima said the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration must begin to deliver measurable benefits to Nigerians.
“When this Council last met, I called our economy a workshop. A place of measurement and correction. A place where plans are turned into systems, and systems into institutions, before any of it becomes prosperity,” he said.
He added that government policies should be assessed by their impact on ordinary citizens, including farmers, manufacturers, vulnerable groups, unemployed youths and future generations.
According to Shettima, Nigeria is moving from economic stabilisation to production-driven growth and from policy aspirations to practical implementation. He urged council members to focus on delivering results that improve livelihoods and expand opportunities.
On economic growth, the Vice President said Nigeria must end its dependence on exporting raw materials while importing finished products.
“We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished products,” he stated.
Shettima also pledged to address bottlenecks affecting agricultural exports, improve port operations and ensure Nigerian products meet international standards, describing these measures as essential to boosting trade, rewarding producers and driving sustainable national development.
