From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Federal Government has said over three million people are internally displaced owing to insecurity, flooding and other natural disasters.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Tanko Sununu, stated this at the inauguration of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Flood Management and Response, yesterday, in Abuja.
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Sununu, who expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country, said millions of citizens are at risk of sliding deeper into hunger and malnutrition as a result of dwindling global aid funding.
According to him, the combined effects of insecurity and natural disasters as well as reducing donor support have created a critical humanitarian challenge for Nigeria.
Consequently, he said about 25 million Nigerians, drawn from 5.9 million households, have benefited from the Federal Government’s ₦419 billion conditional cash transfers, to cushion the effects of economic hardship and sustain vulnerable families.
The minister noted that, “Globally, humanitarian funding is shrinking and Nigeria is not exempted. Just a few days ago, the World Food Programme suspended some of its activities, which had supported more than 1.2 million Nigerians with emergency transfers in the North-East. This leaves over 300,000 children at risk of malnutrition, while more than 200,000 are already receiving treatment.”
Sununu, who noted that the North presently accounts for about 65 percent of the country’s poor population, explained that, “out of this 65 percent, more than 70 percent are smallholder farmers. Sadly, most of them have lost their farmlands and livelihoods to floods and droughts.”
He added that in response to the crisis, the Federal Government was strengthening interventions through the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
The minister disclosed that under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), smallholder farmers have received interest-free loans of N300,000 each to help them recover from losses.
“These efforts are part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians maintain dignity of life, despite economic challenges. With the support of the House of Representatives, we will continue to work to protect vulnerable households and restore livelihoods.”
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, while inaugurating the committee, said flooding has inflicted devastating losses on Nigerian communities, destroying livelihoods, displacing families and undermining development efforts in recent years.
Abbas, who was represented by the House leader, Julius Ihonvbere, charged the panel to proffer immediate and long-term solutions to recurring flooding crises in the country.
According to him, “flooding goes beyond being a mere environmental issue. It is an economic, social and humanitarian challenge. Every year, thousands of families are displaced, farmlands are submerged and critical infrastructure is washed away. These tragedies demand deliberate and well-coordinated responses. “The House expects this committee to identify both the immediate and long-term measures required to prevent loss of lives and property, while recommending strategies that will move the nation from reactive to preventive measures.”
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