he National Economic Council (NEC) has approved N83.2 billion to fund interventions aimed at reducing the impact of flooding and other climate-related disasters across Nigeria, as the federal and state governments intensify efforts to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure during the rainy season.
The approval was granted at the 158th meeting of the Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The funds will be deployed through the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF), a strategic initiative designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure that government responds proactively to emergencies rather than waiting until crises occur.
The intervention followed a presentation by the Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, who highlighted the urgent need to address recurring flooding incidents and other climate-related threats affecting communities across the country.
Council members noted that the increasing frequency of floods and environmental disasters requires a coordinated national response, stressing that disaster management must move beyond emergency reactions to long-term prevention and resilience planning.
Speaking during the meeting, Vice President Shettima said the Tinubu administration’s economic and social reforms must begin to deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians, particularly those in vulnerable communities.
According to him, government policies should ultimately be measured by their impact on ordinary citizens, including farmers, manufacturers, young people and disadvantaged groups.
“When this Council last met, I described our economy as a workshop—a place of measurement and correction where plans are transformed into systems and systems into institutions before they become prosperity,” Shettima said.
“A workshop is judged not by the plans on its walls but by what comes off the bench. The question before us today is whether the work is taking shape.”
The Vice President noted that Nigeria remains on a path from economic stabilisation to production-driven growth, stressing that the country’s development agenda now requires stronger implementation and visible results.
He also underscored the importance of social protection programmes, describing them as critical tools for safeguarding vulnerable citizens and strengthening human capital development.
Beyond disaster management, the Council also turned its attention to agricultural exports and economic productivity.
Shettima called on state governments to collaborate more closely with the Federal Government in removing barriers that prevent Nigerian agricultural products from accessing international markets.
According to him, Nigeria can no longer afford to remain dependent on exporting raw materials while importing finished products at higher costs.
“We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished prosperity,” the Vice President stated.
He stressed that economic transformation depends on building a complete value chain that connects farms to factories, factories to quality standards, standards to ports and ports to international markets.
The Vice President further assured stakeholders that government would continue addressing bottlenecks affecting exports, particularly challenges related to port operations, logistics and compliance with international standards.
He argued that improving export efficiency would not only increase farmers’ incomes but also strengthen local manufacturing, boost foreign exchange earnings and expand Nigeria’s participation in global trade.
“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 accessing markets that reward our labour,” he added.
The approval of the N83.2 billion intervention fund comes as meteorological agencies continue to warn of potential flooding in several states during the current rainy season.
Experts say proactive investments in flood prevention, climate adaptation and disaster preparedness will be critical in reducing losses and protecting communities from future environmental shocks.