The Nigerian government has secured a $600,000 relief fund along with commitments from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This announcement came during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and the head of the Global Development Programme at the foundation, Dr. Christopher Elias on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The relief fund is to “hasten relief efforts for victims of the devastating floods, as well as for health and agricultural sectors’ reforms,” the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed in a statement he signed Thursday.
The statement is titled ‘Nigeria secures $600,000 for flood relief, health, agric sectors’ reforms.’
This follows the Federal Government’s recent establishment of a Disaster Relief Fund, designed to enhance the nation’s capacity to “build greater resilience” in preventing and responding to natural disasters, particularly floods.
This fund aims to strengthen emergency response efforts across the country.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun had announced on Monday that the DRF will address the unique threats posed by climate change by aggregating resources from a diverse range of public and private sector contributors, as well as international donors.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation specifically pledged $600,000 for flood relief efforts in Borno State and other health sector initiatives.
Additionally, a $5 million grant was approved for Lagos Business School and its partners to advance the agricultural economics of industrial cassava.
Shettima reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to prioritizing health, nutrition, and agricultural development as key elements of the nation’s national agenda.
“We are deeply committed to addressing the pressing developmental challenges facing our nation, particularly the significant malnutrition crisis,” he stated.
He emphasized the Nigerian government’s commitment to integrity and effective leadership in addressing these challenges, highlighting the urgent need to secure sites for maize production under the Telemaze program.
The VP said, “We recognize the critical importance of food security and industrial agricultural development.
“The cassava accelerator programme, in particular, holds immense potential for our economy.
“We are pursuing a whole-of-government approach to digitisation and data exchange systems, which we believe will revolutionise our public services,” the VP added while reiterating the government’s focus and commitment to digital transformation.
In his remarks, the President of the Global Development Programme at the Gates Foundation, Dr Christopher Elias, said the Foundation is deeply worried about the severe flooding in Borno and is “committed to supporting Nigeria in times of crisis.”
The Foundation also committed to supporting Nigeria’s health sector reforms, with a particular focus on efforts to combat polio.
“We’re impressed by the national task force’s efforts to eliminate variant polioviruses by year-end,” Elias noted.
Meanwhile, the President of the Global Growth & Opportunity Division at the Bill & Melinda, Rodger Voorhies, detailed plans for scaling up drought-tolerant maize production and advancing the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator programme.
He disclosed that a $5 million grant has been approved for Lagos Business School and its partners to enhance the agricultural economics of industrial cassava.
Industrial cassava presents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity for Nigeria,” Voorhies explained.
