ActionAid to FG, States: Urgently mitigate flood impact on Nigerians

.tasks Govt on practical implementation of safe school initiative

.expresses worry over 35m Nigerians facing hunger

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS Nigerians grapple with different challenges, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, Saturday, tasked the Federal and State Governments to urgently protect the lives and property of Nigerians as high floods begin from July.

The call was made by AAN’s General Assembly and Board of Directors, at its Annual General Meeting, which the Convener, Igho Akeregha presented an address on the state of the nation at a press conference while it expressed grave concern at developments that have continued to negatively impact Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.

The General Assembly acknowledged that Nigeria’s external reserves have grown to about $51.5 billion as reported, but that total public debt has also increased to ₦156.28 trillion, with $11.6 billion set aside for debt servicing in 2026 alone, more than Nigeria spends on education, health, and agriculture combined. Most recently, the World Bank warned that despite recent reforms, 79% of Nigerians remain poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty.

According to the General Assembly, the National Bureau of Statistics also reported a June headline inflation rate of 15.91%, as food prices continue to rise, petrol sells above ₦1,100 per litre, transport costs remain high, and the ₦70,000 minimum wage cannot sustain a family anywhere in the country.

The address reads in part, “Nigeria’s 2026 flood outlook compounds this, as the Federal Government has placed 33 states and the FCT on high flood alert, with over 14,000 communities, nearly 5,000 health facilities, and over 10,000 schools at risk between July and September.

“All States and local governments must urgently clear blocked drainage channels and stop further building on known floodplains. At the same time, NEMA and state emergency agencies must be fully resourced and prepared throughout the high-risk period, which started this July and will continue through September. Nigeria cannot keep responding to a disaster it predicts every single year.”

The Country Director, AAN, Dr Andrew Mamedu also decried closure of schools during rainy season in some states due to flood incidents, therefore, called on State Governments to find alternative places to serve as temporary camps for those internally displaced.

Meanwhile, the General Assembly called on the Federal Government to take practical steps to implement the Safe School Initiative following the recent kidnap and rescuce of Oyo school children.

“A major concern within this period is the relentless attack on schools and children. Between May and July 2026 alone, at least 124 schoolchildren and students were reported abducted across Oyo, Borno and Zamfara states, underscoring the worsening threat to education and the safety of learners in Nigeria. Many abducted children and teachers in other states remain in captivity.

“The General Assembly welcomes the rescue of the 39 Oyo pupils and six surviving teachers. Still, the Federal Government must treat the rescue of all abducted children and teachers who remain in captivity as the national emergency it is. Nigeria has shown that swift rescue is possible when political will exists. There must be a visible, coordinated, adequately resourced rescue and protection operation with clear timelines and public updates.

“The Safe Schools Declaration must be fully funded and implemented, with community-level security in rural and newly threatened states.”

Also, AAN expressed worry over 35 million Nigerians facing biting hunger in 2026, while it pointed out “Exclusion errors and leakages” including “political capture have plagued Nigeria’s social protection schemes.

“With nearly 35 million Nigerians facing acute food insecurity in the 2026 lean season”, saying “the Federal Government must audit programmes, publish beneficiary data, close delivery gaps, and ensure women, youth, and rural communities are centred in delivery.”

Speaking on the 2027 general elections, the General Assembly called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to “take concrete steps to prove its neutrality ahead of 2027, treating the irregularities documented in the Ekiti election, vote-buying, voter intimidation, accreditation failures, and inconsistencies between ballot papers and result sheets as urgent lessons for 2027, not isolated incidents, so that Nigerians can trust the process that determines who governs them.

“INEC, the National Orientation Agency, CSOs, and the media must also invest in sustained, accessible voter education well ahead of polling day, particularly in rural communities, so that citizens can resist vote-buying and recognise their rights at the polling unit.

“We call on civil society organisations, the media, faith communities, and all Nigerians to continue to speak up, hold the government accountable, and stand with the families whose children are still waiting to come home.

“ActionAid Nigeria remains committed to standing with people living in poverty and exclusion, to pursuing social justice and gender equality, and to ensuring that Nigeria’s development does not leave the most vulnerable behind.”