President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate release of ₦2 billion for the reconstruction of homes destroyed by the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this known on Wednesday during a visit to the affected community in Mokwa Local Government Area. He conveyed the president’s condolences and reassured victims that the federal government would address their concerns in collaboration with the Niger State Government.
“The president specifically instructed me to come here to commiserate with the people over this tragic incident. His heart is with the grieving people of Mokwa,” Shettima said.
He further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the Ministers of Environment and State for Agriculture to temporarily relocate to Niger State to coordinate swift interventions under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, particularly to tackle drainage issues in the town.
To cushion the impact of the disaster, the president also approved the delivery of 20 trucks of food items, to be distributed directly to affected victims in partnership with the traditional leadership of Mokwa.
Shettima commended the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their prompt and proactive response to the crisis.
Speaking during the visit, Deputy Governor Garba appealed for urgent federal intervention to mitigate the disaster’s impact. He revealed that more than 2,000 houses had been destroyed, leaving many victims dependent on host families. He emphasized the need for rebuilding efforts and offered available land for housing development.
He also noted the severe disruption to social and economic activities caused by the collapse of four bridges, especially in Rabba. “Students cannot even get to Mokwa when it rains. We urgently need those bridges fixed,” he stressed.
Earlier, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, also appealed to the federal government to fast-track several road projects across the state. He cited the halted Mokwa town bypass project, which stalled due to compensation issues, as well as other vital routes including the Mokwa-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna road, Lambata-Bida road, Bida-Patigi road, and Agaie-Matchi Boro road.
He called for the deployment of ecological experts to help address environmental challenges in the town and thanked President Tinubu for sending the Vice President to personally commiserate with the community.
The Village Head of Mokwa (Ndalile of Mokwa), Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, also expressed gratitude to the federal government for its support since the disaster occurred.
