By Felix Khanoba
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has committed to enhancing disaster management and mitigating the impact of such occurrence in Nigeria.
Governor Ododo made this known while receiving the report from the Technical Working Group of the Ad Hoc Committee on Flood and Other Nature-Induced Disasters.
The meeting took place at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, over the weekend.
A statement released on Monday by Ismaila Isah, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, highlighted Ododo’s belief that the Technical Working Group’s report will significantly boost the federal government’s efforts to address the challenges of natural disaster management in the country.
Governor Ododo acknowledged the extensive efforts of the Technical Working Group, noting that their weeks of dedicated work have culminated in a foundational document that will inform a national roadmap for proactive disaster management in Nigeria.
The governor expressed the nation’s gratitude to the Technical Working Group, led by Minister of State for Water Resources Alhaji Bello Mohammed Goronyo, for their hard work and commitment. He emphasized the timeliness of the report, especially with the rainy season approaching, and praised its far-reaching recommendations aimed at finding lasting solutions to the cyclic challenges posed by adverse climatic events to communities across Nigeria.
Governor Ododo entrusted the report to the Committee’s Secretariat, which will finalize a comprehensive national roadmap based on the Technical Working Group’s findings.
This roadmap will be presented to Vice President Kashim Shettima and the National Economic Council for further action and implementation.
The Ad Hoc Committee on Flood and Other Nature-Induced Disasters, chaired by Governor Ododo, convened to receive the final report from its Technical Working Group.
The comprehensive report details findings and recommendations for better mitigation, adaptation, preparedness, and response (MAPR) to the impacts of floods, erosion, drought, and desertification across Nigeria, marking the completion of the Technical Working Group’s assignment.
The meeting saw the attendance of notable figures including the Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, experts from the ministries of water resources, environment, and sanitation, as well as Kogi State’s 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), and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), were also present, alongside other members of both the Technical Working Group and the NEC Ad Hoc Committee.
