NEC

The National Economic Council has expressed skepticism about a bumper agricultural harvest due to the widespread flooding affecting many states in Nigeria.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule shared this information following a NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

No fewer than 205 persons lost their lives in different flooding incidents across 29 states of the nation in 2024 while 225,169 others were displaced from their homes.

This was contained in an infographic report released by the National Emergency Operations Centre unit of the National Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.

According to the report, the flood incidents also left 2,119 persons with varying degrees of injuries.

It indicated that Kano State is the worst hit with the number of deaths with 35 deaths recorded followed by Jigawa with 34.

Bayelsa and Bauchi take the third and fourth positions with 25 and 21 deaths recorded respectively.

An analysis from the report also indicated that of the 611, 201 persons affected by the flood, Bauchi led the chart with 86,000 affected persons followed by Sokoto with 83,000 victims and Zamfara with 75,000.

One hundred and fifty four local government areas were ravaged by the flood in the 29 states. Some of the affected states included Sokoto, Bauchi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Ondo and Kogi.

Others are Lagos, Oyo, Imo among others.

PUNCH Online reported on September 1 that no fewer than 4,167 houses and farmlands were destroyed by flood in Gombe and Yobe states.

The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency has said at least 2,517 houses and shops were destroyed by flood which ravaged 33 communities in the state.

This was just as the Executive Secretary of Yobo State Emergency Management Agency, Mohammed Goje, said 1,650 houses were destroyed in Jajere and Yunusari towns of the state.

Bauchi State Governor Mohammed revealed that the NEC has requested flood-affected states to submit damage reports by Monday, September 9, 2024.

He also highlighted the Council’s urgent call for improved food security measures, noting that flooded farmlands will affect harvest yields.

The Bauchi Governor stated, “The governors acknowledged the support of the federal government in terms of releasing N3 billion as a measure to ensure that at least they provide palliative for the flood.”

He noted that the flood was especially severe in the northeast, where a key route between Kano and Maiduguri was disrupted, causing significant damage to homes, schools, bridges, and livelihoods.

Mohammed added, “Of course, that has really provided a big challenge to us as a government and as a people in our states because we need to provide more of food security.

“Already, farmlands are already submerged and therefore there’s need for collaboration between all the tiers of government to ensure food security.

“The need for planning, collaboration and interaction to do that during the harvest time because the bumper harvest may not be as envisaged. So, the federal ministry of agriculture and all our subnational ministries are supposed to collaborate and ensure that something comprehensive is done.

“I know there has been a lot of devastation and we have been asked to give an inventory of destruction before  Monday. But other measures of governance in terms of governance structure has been established by council.”

Meanwhile, the Governor of Nasarawa announced the reformation of the flood committee in response to recent flood disasters.

According to him, the committee, designed to provide consistent intervention rather than ad-hoc solutions, includes governors from Kogi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa, and Jigawa states, as well as various federal ministers and directors.

The council has set a Monday deadline for submitting details of the flood damage from affected states.

He stated “The Flood committee has to be reconstituted and the new members of the councils are governors of Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa and Jigawa states.

Others are Minister of Water of Resources, minister of state Water of Resources, Minister of State for Environment, DG Nigeria Sovereignty Investment Authority (NSIA), DG NIMET, DG NWRI, MD/CEO NIWA, MD if NNDC, MD NEDC, and DG NEMA.

“The council has decided that by Monday will be the deadline for all the states of the Federation to submit details damages including farms, schools, barges that have been affected by the last flood and Me chairman mentioned it will be taken into consideration for appropriate support to the various states. So these are the new very strong membership of the flood committee that will continue to address council henceforth.”

In a related development, U.S. billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has revealed that in over two decades they have invested $2.8bn to improve Nigeria’s healthcare, nutrition, and agriculture sectors.

At the NEC meeting, Gates highlighted the importance of investing in Nigeria’s most valuable asset—its people—while tackling the country’s economic issues.

As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates has long supported Nigeria, with his foundation’s total commitment now exceeding $2.8 billion, the largest such investment in Africa.

Gates emphasized the need to prioritize primary healthcare, stating that without health, “there can be no opportunity.”

Despite Nigeria’s resources, the country currently spends only N3,000 per person annually on primary healthcare, a figure he believes should be increased.

Gates urged Nigerian leaders to boost funding for primary healthcare and ensure prompt allocation of resources.

He also commended recent successes, including the HPV vaccination campaign that reached over 12 million Nigerian girls in just one month.

Bill Gates stated “I have been coming to Nigeria for over two decades now. In that time, I have seen performances by Afrobeats legends. I have formed friendships with leaders across sectors. And I’ve met with innovators who are changing the world.

“I am also proud to support their work. To date, our foundation has invested over $2.8 billion in Nigeria. It’s our largest commitment in all of Africa.”

“Nigeria’s economy has stagnated. Earlier this year, your debt exceeded 50% of your GDP for the first time since 2001. And while your revenue-to-GDP ratio has grown, it’s still lower than what it was 15 years ago. The result is that Nigeria spends less per-capita on its people than other African countries with a fraction of your wealth.”

He recognized that Nigeria’s economic leaders have taken some tough but essential steps, such as unifying the exchange rate.

Bill Gates added, “I understand this is a politically sensitive area. Nigerians are struggling. Incomes have fallen. Prices have soared. And like in many other countries, people are protesting.

“Taxes are never popular. That’s true in America too. But they’re part of a social compact. People are more likely to pay them when they see the government spending that money to give Nigerians a better life.”

He stated that while President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda is ambitious, it faces resource constraints.

Bill Gates emphasised that the focus should be on using available funds as effectively as possible.

He stated, “After all, priorities without funding are only words. And I know that right now, it’s impossible to give every priority the funding it needs. That’s why it’s more important than ever to focus on the areas you know will make the greatest difference.

“I’ll start with health. Because without health, there can be no opportunity.

“Primary care is the first—and sometimes, the only—point of contact most patients have with the health system. Yet Nigeria spends just 3,000 naira on primary health care per person, per year. 70% of your spending goes to secondary and tertiary care, compared to just 30% for primary care. That ratio should be reversed.

“Last year, the Federal Government launched an ambitious HPV vaccination campaign. In one month, Nigeria immunised more girls than 40 other Gavi countries combined did the entire previous year. In total, Nigeria reached more than 12 million girls with this life-saving vaccine.

“That’s genuinely incredible. And I hope you carry the lessons from that campaign to future efforts.”

Bill Gates highlighted that nutrition is crucial for public health and that agriculture plays a vital role in ensuring proper nutrition.

He lamented that “Yet Nigeria has the second-highest rate of food insecurity on Earth. You’ve seen how the problem has grown worse as climate change has accelerated. Arable land has disappeared. Pests have wiped out harvests. And prices for staple foods have soared.

“But there are some ways to address this crisis I hope you’ll consider.

“First, Nigeria needs more funding for extension workers, to advise and support farmers; fertilizers, to make sure the soil is healthy enough to grow more crops; and infrastructure, so that farmers have roads to bring their goods to market.

“One key solution is to embrace the new generation of innovative crop varieties that have shorter growing periods, higher yields, and greater resistance to pests.”