The Federal Government has announced plans to disburse ₦6.3 billion in interest-free loans to 21,000 Nigerians affected by recent flooding across the country.
Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, made this known on Monday in Abuja during a roundtable marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
According to him, the initiative is part of efforts to cushion the impact of flooding and strengthen food security nationwide.
“In the next few weeks, 21,000 Nigerians will receive interest-free, collateral-free loans of ₦300,000 each. This intervention is designed to support farmers and strengthen communities affected by flooding,” Sununu said.
He explained that the Federal Government, through the National Social Investment Programme, has so far reached more than 8.1 million households with over ₦300 billion in Conditional Cash Transfers.
“This support has improved the resilience, health, and education of many vulnerable households. The process will continue under the Hope Agenda of Mr. President,” he added.
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Sununu also announced a new empowerment scheme for internally displaced persons (IDPs), which will guarantee a market for their farm produce.
“Under our new collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, IDPs will retain 30% of their produce while the government will off-take 70%, providing direct cash payments to the participants,” he explained.
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, in her remarks, warned of the rising risks of climate-related disasters and urged stronger preventive measures.
She noted that Nigeria is increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change, conflicts, pandemics, and technological hazards, stressing the need for a shift from reactive to proactive disaster management.
Umar also unveiled two key policy frameworks — the NEMA Strategic Plan (2025–2029) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2025–2030) — aimed at enhancing disaster preparedness and resilience.
“These frameworks promote innovation in financing, institutional collaboration, and risk-informed development,” she said, adding that NEMA is developing a National Risk Monitoring and Information Platform to improve early warning systems and data-driven responses.
She further called for innovative financing mechanisms such as catastrophe bonds, climate funds, and blended finance models to support long-term disaster prevention and recovery.
The event, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, lawmakers, and international partners, focused on building resilience against climate-related disasters.
According to data from NEMA’s 2025 Flood Dashboard, as of October 10, 2025, floods had claimed 238 lives and displaced 135,764 people nationwide. At least 409,714 individuals have been affected, with 826 injured and 115 reported missing.
