ECOWAS PROVIDES HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN BAUCHI STATE IN NIGERIA

The ECOWAS Emergency Flood Response Project in Bauchi State, Nigeria has ended. The ECOWAS Commission, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  and the Nigerian Red Cross Society jointly facilitated the distribution of food and non-food items as well as multipurpose cash transfers worth $200,000  to families affected by the 2024 floods in the state.

Since it began on the 15th of December 2024, the ECOWAS Emergency Flood Response has supported 1000 families across Katagum, Jama’are, Zaki, Gamawa, Giade and Kirfi local government areas, with a total of 1,000 families benefitting from the initiative.

The  Bauchi  State government and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the implementing partner,  collaborated to come up with and validate the list of beneficiaries to ensure that the most affected population was targeted and captured.

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Oumar Aliyu Touray  represented by the Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe said that that “the food, non-food items, and monetary support aim to provide relief, not replace losses. Beneficiaries should use the items effectively and invest the funds wisely for sustainable livelihoods.” He reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to improving lives across West Africa through collaborative efforts.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu who was represented by the Director Humanitarian Affairs, Valentine  Ezulu, underscored the key role of partnership and transparency in the exercise. “He assured that the Federal government through the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, is also working towards long term solutions to mitigate the impact of flood disaster in the country.”

With an eye to the future, the President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga called for resilience. “I urge everyone gathered here today and all humans privileged to have access to this speech, especially our stakeholders, volunteers, and community members alike—to remember that humanitarian work is a collective responsibility. Together, we can build stronger and more disaster resilient communities, prepared not only to recover but to thrive in the face of future challenges.”

Under this project, each of the 1,000 affected households received a ₦75,000 cash transfer and some food items listed :  25 kilograms of rice, 15 kilograms of beans, 15 kilograms of gari, 5 litres of vegetable oil and 5 litres of palm oil.

Additionally, beneficiaries received essential non-food items, including:  A mosquito-treated net, a blanket, a bucket, a mat and 25-litre jerrycan.

This initiative, funded by ECOWAS Commission through the Federal Government, aligns with its humanitarian response framework for all Member States. In Nigeria, the ECOWAS Flood relief efforts in 2024 focused on 6 states, in Nigeria, namely-Adamawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Oyo, Anambra and Rivers.

In view of these devastating floods in 2024, this initiative will be extended to  Borno State before the end of the second quarter of 2025.