NEC Okays N83.2bn For Flood Preparedness Nationwide

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ABUJA – The National Economic Council (NEC), on Thursday, approved the release of N83.2 billion for flood preparedness and climate disaster mitiga­tion across the country.

It maintained that addi­tional resources could be deployed as the situation unfolds, hence a unanimous decision to slash the initial budgeted funds by half.

The council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shet­tima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also moved to strength­en Nigeria’s regional devel­opment architecture by con­sidering a proposed National Regional Development Policy (NRDP) 2026-2030 aimed at ad­dressing longstanding devel­opment disparities across the country’s regions.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu, said NEC approved N83.21 billion, representing 50 percent of the amount requested under the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF), established to coordinate early interven­tions against flooding and other climate-related disas­ters.

The proposal, presented by the Federal Ministry of Bud­get and Economic Planning, had sought approval for the disbursement of N166.42 bil­lion through the Federation Account Allocation Com­mittee (FAAC) mechanism to designated implementing agencies and beneficiaries.

According to Otu, the in­tervention marks a signifi­cant shift from the country’s traditional disaster response model, which often focuses on post-disaster relief rather than preventive action.

“I want you to know that this is the first time, as a na­tion, that we are taking pro­active steps. Most times, we wait until floods have caused significant damage before taking action. This time, under the leadership of the chairman of the council, the vice president, we are taking proactive measures to miti­gate the potential impact of flooding, which has become a recurring challenge,” he said.

He explained that NEC rec­ognised the growing threat posed by annual flooding and agreed that government must move from a reactive to a pre­ventive approach in tackling natural disasters.

“Council underscored the importance of the Antici­patory Action Task Force in addressing disasters and climate-related emergencies across the country. Members agreed that NEC must not always be seen reacting to di­sasters after they occur but should take steps to prevent or mitigate their impact,” he added.

Defending the decision to cut the proposal by 50 per­cent, Otu said the council was guided by the need to balance available resources with the urgency of early interven­tion.

“We felt it was important to begin putting measures in place. As we evaluate and assess the situation going for­ward, the council will certain­ly make additional provisions where necessary.

“You also have to look at the intervention within the context of available resourc­es. The idea is to deploy what is currently available in a pro­active manner and establish mechanisms that can reduce the impact of flooding before it occurs.

“That is essentially why the council decided to reduce the proposal by 50 percent. As we move forward and contin­ue to evaluate the situation, more adequate provisions can be made where required,” he said.

The approval comes amid forecasts of severe flooding in several parts of the country during the 2026 rainy season and growing efforts by feder­al and state governments to strengthen disaster prepared­ness and climate resilience.

In a separate presentation, NEC considered the proposed National Regional Develop­ment Policy (NRDP) 2026- 2030, presented by the Minis­try of Regional Development as a framework for promoting balanced and inclusive devel­opment across Nigeria.

The council noted that the policy had become imperative in view of persistent spatial inequalities, fragmented re­gional interventions, align­ment with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2026-2030 and the need to institutionalise glob­al best practices in regional development planning.

According to the presen­tation, the policy seeks to provide strategic oversight for the formulation and im­plementation of regional development initiatives, co­ordinate development mas­ter plans for the regional development commissions in collaboration with state governments and supervise the operations of the commis­sions.

The framework is also ex­pected to align regional de­velopment programmes with the Tinubu administration’s priority areas, including eco­nomic growth, food security, national security, energy development, infrastructure expansion, education, health­care, social investment, in­dustrialisation, innovation and the digital economy.

Among the key proposals before the council were the endorsement of the NRDP 2026-2030, approval of the Regional Development Poli­cy Framework mechanism, support for state-level adop­tion of the policy and back­ing for the establishment of a Regional Development Bank.

At the end of deliber­ations, NEC directed the Minister of Regional Devel­opment to circulate the draft policy to state governors for review and input, while also mandating consultations with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to secure broad sub-national participation and ownership.

The council said the ini­tiative would deepen coop­eration between the feder­al and state governments, strengthen the operations of the regional development commissions and provide a coordinated framework for addressing development im­balances across the federa­tion.