Vice President Kashim Shettima was praised on Tuesday for his hands-on response to the flood crisis in Maiduguri, Borno State.
A video circulated online showed the Vice President wading through floodwaters to assist displaced residents, following a devastating flood that had engulfed large parts of the state capital.
This visit came on the direct orders of President Bola Tinubu, who instructed Shettima to assess the situation on the ground and offer aid.
The Vice President disclosed this during his speech at the 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference in Abuja, themed “Accelerated Economic Growth and Development: the State of Play and the Way Forward.”
Speaking at the event, Shettima announced, “After this meeting, with the consent of the President, I will rush to Maiduguri. The whole city has been overtaken by flood. It is not peculiar to one part of the country. We are facing this challenge right from Bayelsa to Sokoto.”
Shettima also emphasized that the Tinubu administration is fully committed to addressing the country’s widespread flood crisis.
He said, “Be rest assured that the President has the nation at heart and will do whatever it takes to salvage the state of affairs.”
The Vice President conveyed his administration’s sympathy to flood victims across Nigeria, adding, “I want to use this forum to commiserate with the people of our great nation over the flood disasters we are recording all across the length and breadth of this nation.”
Reports from Maiduguri indicated that the collapse of water channels at the Alau Dam contributed significantly to the flooding, leaving many residents displaced.
The floodwaters submerged key areas of the city, including roads, bridges, and residential neighborhoods, with several strategic locations severely impacted.
Among the affected areas were parts of the Shehu of Borno Palace, Maiduguri Central Market, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Other institutions like the GRA, Maiduguri Zoo, College of Nursing, College of Agriculture, and School of Health Technology also suffered heavy flooding.
In response, residents were seen frantically relocating essential belongings to higher ground, while some youths worked to erect sandbags in a desperate bid to keep floodwaters at bay.
Though official casualty figures have not yet been released by the state government, public and private schools in the area have been ordered closed for two weeks to mitigate the crisis.
