The government of Borno State has started giving out help to people affected by the big flood in Maiduguri. Around 2 million people were impacted. They are starting with 5,238 families in the city.
Governor Babagana Zulum started the help program on Tuesday in Maiduguri. The first area to get help is Gwange 1, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The report said that 587 families lost their homes completely, 2,283 families’ homes were partly damaged, and 2,365 families’ homes were slightly damaged.
The governor said that first, they would help about 5,238 families in Gwange 1. Out of these, 587 families lost their homes, while 2,365 homes had little damage, and 2,283 homes had some damage.
Families with slight damage will get N100,000 in cash and necessary items like rice, beans, mats, blankets, and mosquito nets. Families with severe losses will get more help based on how much they lost.
Important Information
Maiduguri had its worst flood since 1994. The rising water flooded many homes. The flood happened because the Alau Dam overflowed, causing much damage to houses and important buildings.
After the flood, many people and companies gave money and items to help the victims. The state government said they have received pledges of N13.1 billion for recovery.
These donations came from companies, state governments, legislators, and various organizations. Big contributions include N2 billion from Aliko Dangote, N1.5 billion from Aminu Dantata, and N1 billion from Mohammed Indimi. Oluremi Tinubu gave N500 million, and Dahiru Mangal, Atiku Abubakar, and Ali Modu Sheriff each gave N100 million.
Other contributors like Rep. Mukhtar Betara, Abdulsalam Kachala, and others gave N100 million, while Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso gave N50 million each.
People like Ahmed Lawan, Mohammad Maifata, Ibrahim Umar, Mohammad Imam, Ali Dalori, Sen. Tahir Monguno, and Sen. Kaka Shehu also gave N50 million each.
But, in a recent meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said the government has only received N4.4 billion out of the N13.1 billion promised. This is just 33.59% of the total donations, meaning they still need a lot more money to fix everything damaged by the flood.