The Nigerian government has secured a $600,000 relief fund and commitments from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The donation was announced when Vice President Kashim Shettima met with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation led by its head of the Global Development Programme, Dr Christopher Elias, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The relief fund is to “hasten relief efforts for victims of the devastating floods, as well as for health and agricultural sectors’ reforms,” the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed in a statement he signed last Thursday.
The statement is titled ‘Nigeria secures $600,000 for flood relief, health, agric sectors’ reforms.’
The Federal Government has recently created a Disaster Relief Fund to help prevent and respond to natural disasters across the country, particularly floods. The fund will be used to “build greater resilience” in dealing with these disasters.
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, announced the fund on Monday and said it will consider the specific threats posed by climate change. The fund will be created by collecting money from various public and private sector organizations and international donors.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $600,000 for flood relief in Borno State and other health programs.
Additionally, a grant of $5 million has been approved for Lagos Business School and its partners to develop the agricultural economics of industrial cassava.
The Vice President, Shettima, emphasized the importance of health, nutrition, and agricultural development for Nigeria. He said that the government is committed to addressing malnutrition and is working to improve leadership and integrity in tackling these issues.
Shettima also mentioned the urgency of finding locations for maize production under the Telemaze program and promised to quickly approve import permits for certified seeds. He highlighted the potential of the cassava accelerator program for the economy and emphasized the government’s focus on digitization and data exchange systems.
Dr. Christopher Elias, President of the Global Development Program at the Gates Foundation, expressed concern about the flooding in Borno and pledged support for Nigeria in times of crisis.
He also mentioned the Foundation’s support for health sector reforms, especially in the fight against polio.Rodger Voorhies, President of the Global Growth & Opportunity Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discussed plans to increase drought-tolerant maize production and advance the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator program.
He announced a $5 million grant for Lagos Business School to develop the agricultural economics of industrial cassava and requested import permits for 5,000 metric tons of certified maize seed.
Uche Amaonwu, Director of the Nigeria Country Office at the Gates Foundation, expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnership and highlighted a $60 million investment in sector-wide programs and collaborations on reproductive health issues.
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