Asian giant, Japan, has provided Nigeria with $4.5 million (N886.5 million) grant to purchase disaster reduction equipment, a development which the Minister, National Planning Commission, Dr Abubakar Suleiman, said would help the country in mitigating against such occurences.
Speaking at the signing of exchange of notes for Non-Project Grant Aid for the project in Abuja on Friday, the minister said that the grant was “in recognition of the importance of improving resilience to disaster as a key factor for sustainable socio-economic development in Nigeria.’’
He said that the Federal Government remained committed to working closely with various stakeholders of the economy to achieve sustainable development.
“Nigeria had its worst experience in 2012 when 363 people lost their lives, 18, 282 were injured and 2.1 million people across the country were displaced by flooding.
“Similar unfortunate experience befell the Ibadan city in August 2011, when scores of lives were lost and property worth N20 million were destroyed.
“The yearly reoccurrence of flooding in Nigeria with disastrous consequences serves to illustrate the country’s inadequate preparedness and low capacity for effective disaster management,’’ he said.
Earlier, Masaya Otsuka, the Charge’ d’ Affaires ad Interim of Japan to Nigeria, said that the grant was for the procurement of disaster reduction equipment of high quality made by Japanese enterprises.
“The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as the implementing partner of this grant, will utilise the equipment to be procured to make Nigeria more resilient to disaster reduction,’’ Otsuka said.
Similarly, Suleiman also signed the Financial Agreement for the implementation of N325 million grant for Community Based Psychosocial Support and Protection Services for Children and Adolescents in Borno with the EU.
He said that the project would restore confidence and access to health and education services by restoring the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents exposed directly or indirectly to trauma or distressing incidences.
“In terms of coverage, the project will be implemented in 300 communities in the 11 Local Government Areas of Borno for 36 months,’’ he said.
The Head, EU Delegation, Amb. Michel Arrion said that the programme was part of the wider humanitarian assistance programme being implemented by UNICEF and other UN agencies in the North East of Nigeria.
“The EU and UNICEF renewed their determination to continue to cooperate with the people and government of Nigeria in responding to the acute needs of the people affected by the ongoing insurgency in Borno,’’ he said.
(NAN)
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