Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building resilient communities capable of withstanding humanitarian and climate-related challenges, stressing that emergency assistance must translate into long-term development and self-reliance.
A statement issued by the Focal Person on Public Engagement and Media Liaison Office of the SSG, Ibrahim Baba Saleh said the governor made the assertion during the flag-off of the distribution of food baskets to 6,000 vulnerable households affected by various disasters across the state, an intervention jointly implemented by the Yobe State Government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief).
Represented by the Acting Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Mohammed Goje, Governor Buni expressed appreciation to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the humanitarian gesture, describing it as a demonstration of international solidarity with vulnerable communities.
He noted that the intervention complements the efforts of both the Federal Government and the Yobe State Government in providing relief and support to populations affected by disasters and other humanitarian challenges.
According to the governor, Yobe has in recent years experienced a number of humanitarian and climate-induced challenges, including flooding, windstorms, fire outbreaks and communal conflicts, which have disrupted livelihoods and increased vulnerabilities in many communities.
Despite these challenges, he said the state government has continued to implement proactive measures aimed at safeguarding lives and property through emergency response mechanisms and disaster preparedness initiatives.
“We’re building resilient communities beyond emergency relief in Yobe. Our approach is anchored on the belief that humanitarian assistance must lead to resilience, and resilience must lead to sustainable development,” Governor Buni stated.
He disclosed that the state government has developed a comprehensive flood preparedness plan targeting over 126,000 vulnerable households in high-risk communities across the state as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of potential disasters.
The governor also charged officials and stakeholders involved in the distribution exercise to ensure transparency, fairness and strict compliance with beneficiary selection guidelines to guarantee that assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, disclosed that KSrelief donated a total of 24,302 food baskets for distribution to vulnerable households in Yobe, Benue, Anambra, Kebbi and Taraba states.
She explained that 6,000 profiled households in Yobe would benefit from the intervention, adding that the distribution exercise would be jointly implemented by NEMA, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and trained volunteers to ensure accountability and transparency.
Mrs. Umar also urged residents of flood-prone communities to heed early warning alerts and adopt preventive measures as the rainy season intensifies.
She commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its continued humanitarian support to Nigeria and reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to the successful implementation of the intervention.
Also speaking, the representative of KSrelief, Alanazi Majeed Salem, said his visit to Yobe was to monitor the distribution process and provide feedback to the donor organisation.
He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise, noting that the targeted beneficiaries were receiving the relief items in an orderly and dignified manner.
The food basket distribution is part of ongoing efforts to provide immediate relief to vulnerable households while strengthening community resilience against future humanitarian and climate-related shocks.
