Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), Mustapha Habib Ahmed on Monday, flagged off the distribution of support items to beneficiaries of the Special National Economic Livelihoods Emergency Intervention (SNELEI).
Recall that the Federal Government approved the intervention specifically for people affected by the 2022 flood disasters and those classified as the most vulnerable persons across the country.
The sad incident of the 2022 flood disaster had devastated many communities across the country including Jigawa State.
A total of 660,884 households were verified and targeted to benefit from the special intervention across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
NEMA’s Director General said: “I had the cause to personally visit some of these communities in Jigawa State during the peak of the flood disaster, where a number of people were displaced and their farmlands and crops were completely inundated.
“Following the flood, search and rescue operations were successfully conducted in several locations where trapped persons were rescued and given necessary care.
“Immediately after the flood incident, damage and loss assessment were conducted and relief items approved by the Federal Government were delivered across the states to complement initial intervention by the state Governments.
“Furthermore, based on the assessments which were jointly conducted by the NEMA and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), the Federal Government approved this Special Intervention to assist vulnerable persons across the country and those affected by the flood to support their quick return to normalcy.
“This intervention is also expected to drive the sustainable socio-economic resilience of the targeted most vulnerable individuals.
“NEMA staff were deployed to conduct the verification of the target beneficiaries in collaboration with personnel from SEMAs, State Ministries of Agriculture and other relevant Stakeholders”.
He advised the beneficiaries to make proper use of the items to improve their socio-economic conditions.
Beneficiaries were also enjoined to be orderly during the distribution exercise as all those verified would receive their items.
The agricultural inputs such as crop seedlings and equipment were given to take farmers back to the land, stimulate crop production and safeguard Nigeria’s national food security in the middle economic downturn.
Furthermore, the intervention was expected to stimulate value chain activities at the grassroots.
The livelihood support items were meant to help artisans to improve their businesses and grow the economy.
Beneficiaries were therefore advised to avoid selling the items and destroy the good intention of the Federal Government.
He specially thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shetima for all the supports given toward the implementation of the intervention.
Ahmed equally thanked the Jigawa State Government, especially the Governor, Umar Namadi, his Deputy, Alhaji Aminu Usman Gumel and the Jigawa SEMA for providing NEMA all the necessary support to accomplish the intervention.
He also sincerely appreciated members of the Jigawa state House of Assembly and Royal Fathers for attending the occasion.
Appreciation was extended to the security agencies, members of the press and the staff of NEMA Kano Territorial Office that worked hard despite the short notice to ensure the success of the flag off of distribution of intervention items to the good people of Jigawa state.
