The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting vulnerable communities in the region, particularly those affected by disasters and conflict.
NEDC’s Borno Coordinator, Engr Mohammed Watsada restated the pledge on Monday in Maiduguri during the distribution of food and relief materials to more than 3,200 households displaced by recent floods.
“The Commission is mandated to support vulnerable people in the North-East, particularly those affected by disasters and conflict,” Watsada said.
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He explained that the intervention was part of the Commission’s wider responsibility of resettling, rehabilitating, and reintegrating displaced persons, as well as rebuilding infrastructure and addressing poverty in the region.
He added that beneficiaries were identified following on-the-ground assessments in neighbourhoods submerged by floodwaters after last week’s torrential rains.
Each affected household received a 10-kilogram bag of sugar, a carton of spaghetti, a carton of noodles, five litres of cooking oil, mats, and blankets. Watsada cautioned beneficiaries against selling the items, stressing they were meant to cushion their hardship.
Some residents described the assistance as timely. Aisha Nassiru, whose home in Mai Sandari was submerged, said:
“We still pass through water before leaving our area. But I am grateful because NEDC came to us, took our names, and now we are beneficiaries. The process was fair.”
Another resident, Mohammed Mohammed from Bulumkutu Kasuwa, noted that apart from NEDC, no government official had visited their community since the disaster.
He urged authorities and humanitarian agencies to emulate the Commission in reaching vulnerable families.
Flooding has remained a recurring challenge in Maiduguri and other parts of the North-East, worsened by heavy rainfall, inadequate drainage systems, and poor waste management.
For many residents, the Commission’s intervention underscored both the severity of vulnerability in the city and the urgency of long-term solutions.
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