FG eyes $1 million AfDB grant for rice, beans to flood victims 

The Federal Government has requested a $1 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to provide emergency food aid for Nigerians affected by the 2024 floods. 

This is according to a proposal document obtained by Nairametrics.

This intervention is aimed at mitigating the widespread displacement and food insecurity caused by the disaster, which affected 29 states, displaced over 200,000 people, and destroyed more than 500,000 hectares of farmland. 

The proposed initiative targets 122,253 individuals across 16 of the worst-hit districts, offering food packages containing 25kg of rice and 10kg of beans.

The food distribution, scheduled between October 2024 and February 2025, will complement ongoing efforts by the Federal Government, which has already distributed rice and spaghetti to affected households. 

The proposal document read: “The Project aims to complement the Government’s efforts and those of development partners to save lives and protect livelihoods in the current crisis caused by the flood. This objective will be achieved through the provision of emergency food transfers. 

“The Bank, through SRF, will contribute USD 1,000,000 in response to the appeal, while WFP will deploy its field capacity to identify, target and provide relief emergency support to the target beneficiaries. 

“The funding from the Bank’s SRF will be used to complement the Government’s interim response which is providing 25kg of rice and 10kg of spaghetti by delivering complementary pulses and rice to cover an estimated 122,253 people (24,450 households) in the sixteen most affected districts. 

“The aim is to provide consumption needs to affected households to diversify their food basket and address essential needs during four critical months between October 2024 and February 2025, thus enabling them to protect their livelihoods and avoid long-term deterioration of their food and nutrition security. 

“The support will be a one-off food transfer of 35 kilograms (25kg of rice and 10kg of beans) per household.” 

How the $1 million grant will be spent 

• Out of the total amount, $870,919 will be allocated to the purchase and transport of cereals and beans, equivalent to 799.046 metric tons.
• This expenditure represents the bulk of the funding and is intended to provide critical food supplies to the most affected households across 16 areas. 
• In addition, $48,421 will cover project implementation costs, including expenses incurred by the World Food Programme (WFP) field offices during logistics and coordination efforts.
• A further $42,198 has been set aside for direct support costs, which include the management expenses of the WFP Country Office responsible for overseeing the intervention. 
• The remaining $38,462, amounting to 4% of the total grant, will go toward indirect support costs, as determined by the WFP Executive Board. These funds will ensure proper oversight and accountability throughout the programme. 

AfDB and WFP to spearhead relief efforts 

The $1 million grant from the AfDB’s Special Relief Fund (SRF) will support food procurement and distribution efforts led by the World Food Programme (WFP).

Known for its expertise in humanitarian operations, the WFP will oversee fieldwork, including beneficiary targeting and food delivery.

The intervention will supply 35 kilograms of food per household to ensure dietary diversity and address essential nutritional needs during the four critical months of recovery. 

• Flooding, exacerbated by the collapse of the Alau Dam in Borno State, wreaked havoc across northern Nigeria. In Maiduguri, over half of the city was submerged, leaving vital infrastructure—including the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and 25 schools—inoperable.
• The disaster has also triggered outbreaks of waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and malaria, worsening the plight of vulnerable communities. 
• The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) described the situation as beyond the government’s capacity, underscoring the need for international assistance.
• President Bola Tinubu had earlier appealed for global support to address the humanitarian crisis, which has strained local resources. 
• Market assessments by the Food and Agriculture Organisation revealed surging food prices, rendering cash-based assistance ineffective.
• The AfDB grant will therefore focus on direct food transfers to stabilise livelihoods and meet urgent nutritional needs. 

The initiative aligns with United Nations-led efforts to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the floods, which have deepened Nigeria’s fragile economic conditions.

The AfDB grant will cover the procurement, logistics, and operational costs of food distribution. Post-distribution monitoring will also be conducted to assess the program’s impact on food security and the well-being of beneficiaries. 

What you should know 

Nairametrics earlier reported that the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), committed over $6.5 million to aid flood-related humanitarian efforts in Nigeria. 

The agency has provided nearly $100 million to Nigeria to address various humanitarian needs, including those arising from other natural disasters. 

• In response to the flood disaster in Maiduguri, Borno State, several prominent individuals have stepped forward with substantial donations to aid victims and support recovery efforts. 
• Nairametrics earlier reported that Borno State received about N816.34 million from the Ecological Fund between January and June 2024. 
• The Ecological Fund in Nigeria is a dedicated fund set up by the federal government to address various environmental challenges and natural disasters across the country. 
• It was established to manage the country’s ecological problems, particularly those arising from soil erosion, flood control, desertification, and other environmental degradation issues. 
• However, Nairametrics observed that only N20 million was spent on flood control in the first half of 2024, representing just 2.45% of the total ecological allocation. 

This amount was only spent in the second quarter of the year, as nothing was spent for this budgetary allocation in Q1 2024. 

Borno’s budget allocation for erosion and flood control remains underutilized. The 2024 revised budget earmarked N1.653 billion for flood control, yet only 1.2% of this has been spent, raising questions about the state’s preparedness and commitment to addressing this recurrent issue.