Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Thursday stated that the ravaging flood which displaced millions of Nigerians and prompted outbreak of diseases such as cholera, have remained major threats to the safety and well-being of citizens.
Kalu stated this in Abuja while delivering his address at the launch of updated 2024 countrywide risk analysis for Nigeria by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
He said findings of this analysis underscored the fact that these critical issues remain major threat and actionable steps are required towards a safer, more resilient Nigeria.
He recalled that in 2022, flooding displaced over 1.4 million Nigerians and caused wanton economic losses.
“According to available data, similarly, conflict and violence incidents have caused widespread displacement and exacerbated vulnerabilities in communities nationwide. Epidemics such as cholera continues to expose gaps in health infrastructure and resilience mechanisms.
“As the deputy speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, I reaffirm our commitment to leveraging these insights for robust policymaking. The legislative arm of government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that Nigeria’s risk management strategies are backed by appropriate laws and budgets.
“In alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we will continue to put forward legislation prioritising disaster risk reduction, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring equitable resource distribution to vulnerable communities,” he said.
