As part of moves toward addressing Nigeria’s flood-related challenges, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, on Wednesday, held an inaugural meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on the Evaluation of Dams.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engineer Joseph Utsev.
At the meeting convened to assess the safety and functionality of dams nationwide, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation underscored the recent review of the devastating floods in Maiduguri and surrounding areas, which was discussed during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on September 23rd, 2024.
At the FEC meeting, the Council emphasised the urgent need for a Disaster Relief Fund to enable a swift response to national disasters in order to minimize the hardships experienced by affected communities.
Approved by President Tinubu, the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee was tasked with evaluating the structural integrity of Nigeria’s dams, assessing their social and environmental impact on local communities, and formulating a comprehensive plan to address the challenges posed by these critical infrastructures.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Edun stated that although the current response is tied to the Borno floods, the government has been actively preparing for such events, and informed that earlier in the year, funding was allocated to all states to implement measures aimed at mitigating the impact of flooding.
The minister further informed that President Bola Tinubu has also established a separate committee to create a Disaster Relief Fund dedicated to addressing specific national emergencies.
This initiative, he noted, will include private sector leadership and is part of government’s broader strategy to strengthen national preparedness, particularly in light of the growing risks posed by climate.