Mustapha Ahmed, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), refuted claims of having received a $1 million donation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2022 for flood victim support. Ahmed clarified this point in response to inquiries by journalists regarding the funds that were extensively celebrated in 2022.
Back in October 2022, the then US Embassy, through Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, had issued a statement announcing the donation. The contribution was prompted by unusually heavy rainfall leading to widespread flooding that impacted approximately 2.8 million people across the nation. Numerous homes were either damaged or entirely destroyed, resulting in the displacement of millions.
The US government had elucidated that the $1 million USAID grant was designated to empower local partners on the ground. These partners were intended to provide urgent shelter aid, relief essentials, hygiene kits to ensure health and safety practices during an ongoing cholera outbreak, and multipurpose cash assistance for those affected by the devastating floods. The statement had specifically emphasized that the donation was geared toward aiding those affected by the unprecedented flooding in Nigeria.
However, more than ten months following the announcement, NEMA, the principal organization responsible for humanitarian response, has not yet received the promised donation. The Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, remarked, “I also came across the news story in the media last year, but I can verify that we have not received any $1 million from USAID.”
In a separate development, NEMA’s Director-General, Mustapha Ahmed, assured Zamfara State of the agency’s preparedness to assist in addressing the humanitarian challenges arising from bandit and terrorist attacks. He conveyed this commitment during a visit by Zamfara’s governor, Dr. Dauda Lawal, to NEMA’s headquarters on a Friday. Ahmed expressed, “I commend the governor for acknowledging NEMA’s interventions, and I assure you that Zamfara will receive all the necessary assistance, similar to other states across the federation.”
Prior to this, the governor of Zamfara State had indicated his purpose in visiting NEMA’s headquarters. He sought assistance for the Internally Displaced Persons who had been displaced due to numerous bandit attacks in the state.
