By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

The National Economic Council (NEC) has approved N83.2 billion for interventions to mitigate the impact of anticipated flooding and other climate-related emergencies across the country.

The approval was granted on Thursday at the Council’s 158th meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima after the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, presented a proposal on proactive measures to address flooding and disaster risks during the rainy season.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha.

According to the statement, the fund will be deployed through the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) to strengthen disaster preparedness and reduce the impact of flooding and other climate-induced emergencies nationwide.

The Council stressed the need to move beyond a reactive approach to disaster management, noting that anticipatory measures would better protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.

Vice President Shettima also urged state governments to work closely with the Federal Government to remove logistical and compliance barriers preventing Nigerian agricultural produce from accessing international markets.

He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu expects its economic reforms to translate into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians, particularly farmers, manufacturers, vulnerable citizens and unemployed youths.

“We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished prosperity,” the Vice President said, stressing the need to build a value chain linking farms, factories, ports and global markets.

Shettima further assured that the Federal Government would address bottlenecks affecting agricultural exports, especially port inefficiencies and compliance with international standards.

“A nation that cannot move its goods has imprisoned its own farmers. Meeting international standards is not submission to foreign demand. It is the price of the markets that will reward our labour,” he added.

The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening social protection programmes to safeguard vulnerable Nigerians and support human capital development.