Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has reaffirmed his commitment to proactive disaster mitigation and the protection of communities against natural disasters in Nigeria.
The governor made this assurance while receiving the report from the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the Ad-hoc Committee on Flood and Other Nature-Induced Disasters of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, over the weekend.
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Kogi State Governor, Ismaila Isah, he said “Governor Ododo noted that the report of the Technical Working Group will serve as a boost for the commitment of the federal government to address challenges in the management of natural disasters in the country.
According to the Governor, the report is a culmination of several weeks of dedicated work by the Technical Working Group, noting that “it is expected to serve as a foundation for the development of a national roadmap for proactive management of nature-induced disasters in Nigeria”.
Expressing gratitude to the TWG led by the Honourable Minister of State for Water Resources, Alhaji Bello Mohammed Goronyo, Governor Ododo praised their hard work and diligence. He described the report as timely, especially considering the onset of the rainy season, and emphasized the importance of its recommendations for finding lasting solutions to the challenges posed by adverse climatic events.
The governor entrusted the report to the Committee’s Secretariat, which will finalize a comprehensive national roadmap based on the TWG’s findings. This roadmap will be presented to Vice President Kashim Shettima and the NEC for further action and implementation.
The official handover of the comprehensive report, detailing findings and recommendations for better mitigation, adaptation, preparedness, and response (MAPR) to the impact of floods, erosion, drought, and desertification across Nigeria, marks the completion of the TWG’s assignment. The meeting was attended by key officials, including the Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, experts from the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, and the Kogi State Director-General of Research and Development, Hon. Moses Okezie.
Representatives from various federal agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), and other members of both the TWG and the NEC Ad-hoc Committee, were also in attendance
