The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), commenced the distribution of the Special National Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI) on Tuesday in Lagos. The intervention programme aims to provide essential support to individuals affected by the devastating 2022 flood and the most vulnerable members of the Lagos State community.
The flag-off ceremony took place at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, situated in Oko-Oba, Agege, a suburb of Lagos.
Mustapha Habib Ahmed, the Director-General of NEMA, addressed the attendees and recounted the severe impact of the 2022 flood, which left numerous people homeless and struggling to rebuild their lives. Represented by Hajia Zainab Saidu, Ahmed highlighted the successful search and rescue operations that took place in various locations to save individuals trapped by the flood.
In the aftermath of the flood, damage and loss assessments were conducted, and the Federal Government approved the distribution of relief items across the affected states to complement the initial interventions carried out by state governments. This effort was a result of collaborative assessments conducted by NEMA and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs).
Following these assessments, the federal government sanctioned a special intervention designed to provide aid to vulnerable individuals nationwide and those severely affected by the flood, enabling them to recover swiftly. This intervention seeks to bolster the socio-economic resilience of its intended beneficiaries.
NEMA staff, in conjunction with personnel from SEMAs, state Agricultural Development Projects, and other stakeholders, conducted verification of the targeted beneficiaries. The result was a total of 660,884 households identified as beneficiaries of the special intervention programme, covering all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In his address, the Director-General advised the beneficiaries to utilise the provided items judiciously and expressed gratitude to the federal government for facilitating this essential intervention.
The distributed items were categorised into food items, non-food items, agricultural inputs, livelihood equipment, and more, aiming to address the various needs of the beneficiaries.
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Ms. Ruth Abisola Olusanya, also spoke at the event. She extended her appreciation to the NEMA team and the federal government for consistently responding to the needs of the most vulnerable, especially flood victims. She encouraged the beneficiaries to remain grateful for the government’s kindness and support.
Furthermore, Ms. Olusanya conveyed the governor’s gratitude to the Director-General of NEMA for his continued support to the state, especially in times of emergency. She expressed hope that NEMA would maintain its supportive role in the state, contributing to the overall well-being of its residents.
