NEMA distributes 18,653 bags of rice, others to 16 states

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has officially distributed 18,653 bags of 10kg rice donated by the Bank of Industry (BOI) and 50 tons of humanitarian relief aid from the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to 16 beneficiary states across Nigeria.

The Director General NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, handed over the items to the beneficiaries in Abuja on Thursday, 3rd October 2024.

The rice donation was broken down as follows:

– Katsina: 3,850 bags
– Zamfara: 3,634 bags
– Imo: 3,500 bags
– Benue: 3,000 bags
– Jigawa: 3,000 bags
– Plateau: 1,669 bags

Of the total rice allocation, 10,484 bags will be collected from the Kano warehouse, while 8,169 bags will be picked up from Abuja.

The UAE’s 50-ton donation consists of 1,696 cartons, each containing 20 assorted food items, forming a complete food basket.

The distribution of the UAE food baskets was as follows:

– Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Kano, Ondo, Rivers, and Sokoto states: 160 cartons each
– Borno state: 256 cartons

The DG NEMA explained that the selection of beneficiary states was based on the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the severity of their needs due to disasters. In total, the aid was shared among 16 states.

She praised the BOI and the UAE government for their generous contributions, highlighting that these donations reflect deep sympathy for those affected by disasters and symbolise the strong bilateral ties between Nigeria and the UAE. She also underscored the importance of collaborative, multi-stakeholder efforts in disaster management.

She disclosed that this year’s floods had affected over one million people across 180 local government areas, displaced more than 600,000 individuals, and resulted in 280 deaths. The NEMA boss urged state and local governments to take proactive measures in mitigating disaster impacts.

Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu Usur, the Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, emphasised that the public presentation of these relief items is in line with NEMA’s commitment to transparency and accountability in its operations. He highlighted that the agency has always prioritised accountability in executing its responsibilities.

Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and officials from all beneficiary states attended the event.