Government to disburse ?6.3bn interest-free loans to 21,000 flood disaster victims

21,000 Nigerians affected by flood disasters across the country are to benefit from a Federal Government interest-free loan totalling ?6.3 billion.

The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sanunu, disclosed this on Monday at a roundtable event to mark this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in Abuja.

The event had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, lawmakers and international partners among others.

Sununu said the intervention is to mitigate the impact of flooding in the country and address its consequences on food security.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government has also reached 8.1 million households with over ?300 billion through the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme.

“As a ministry, under the Hope Agenda of Mr. President, the Ministry has, through the National Social Investment Agency, has done very well in improving the resilience of the local community. As of today, in terms of conditional cash transfer, over 8.1 million households in Nigeria have been reached with a total sum of over 300 and something billion naira. This has really improved their capacity, improved their health, and education, and the process will continue.

“We also are planning, together with both national and state level, to improve on our flood mitigating effect by dolling out, in the next few weeks to come, to 21,000 Nigerians free interest, and also free collateral loan of over 300,000 Naira each. This is to address the issue of crisis in farming so as to mitigate the interest of flooding in Nigeria,” he said.

The Minister further disclosed efforts to empower displaced persons through a scheme that will provide a ready market for their products.

Credit: channelstv.com

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