President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦2 billion to help rebuild homes destroyed by recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the news during a visit to the affected communities, where he met with families who lost loved ones and property in the disaster.
The flood, which struck on May 28, left hundreds homeless and caused massive destruction.
In addition to the rebuilding funds, President Tinubu also ordered the immediate delivery of 20 trucks of rice to support displaced residents.
Shettima assured the people that the government is taking their plight seriously and that efforts are underway to address all the challenges they are facing.
The President also instructed that damaged bridges in the area be repaired without delay and that work begin immediately on restoring proper drainage systems in Mokwa to prevent future disasters.
So far, over 200 bodies have been recovered following the deadly flood.
Niger State’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Ahmad Suleiman, said the death toll could still rise as more bodies are being searched for.
“We have more than 200 casualties or corpses but we are still looking for more. We are still recovering corpses up till now.
“Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger State right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses,” Suleiman said while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.
He added that the state government has started distributing emergency relief materials to those forced to seek shelter in makeshift camps.
He also mentioned that trailers loaded with rice have been sent to the victims, and that the governor’s wife donated ₦50 million during a visit to the area.
“The Niger State Government has put things in place and there are lots of contributions from various agencies and ministries. The damage on the ground now, you cannot get it on social media except a visit to the scenes. There is lots of damage at the moment.
“The state government has sent trailers of rice to the victims. The wife of the governor also visited the local government yesterday and donated N50m,” he added.
Despite these efforts, many flood victims have voiced their frustration over poor living conditions in the camps and the limited aid they’ve received.
One displaced resident, Mama Isah, said her household of 17 people was given just one loaf of bread and some tea.
Mama Isah, said, “We are 17 people in my household, but we were only given one loaf of bread and some tea. How can that be enough for even our breakfast?”
Several others have echoed similar concerns, calling for better support and quicker action from the government and relief agencies.