Shettima Announces Special Fund of N166bn for Disaster Management in 2026

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The vice president, Senator Kashim Shettima, has announced Nigeria’s readiness to lead in the new era of data-driven preparedness against disasters.

Shettima, while making the announcement on Thursday, also stated that the federal government had given approval for a N166 billion special intervention fund to help provide anticipatory action before the occurrence of any form of disaster in the coming year.

The vice president revealed that the country was strengthening national systems to ensure that early warning was not just issued but also heard, understood, and acted upon.

He stated that the essence was to make Nigeria more proactive and enhance its anticipatory capacity.

The vice president spoke at the national conference on Anticipatory Action in Nigeria, with the theme, “Unlocking the Power of Data-Driven Anticipatory Action in Nigeria,” organised by International Rescue Committee, Nigeria.

Shettima said the country was investing in national data generating agencies, climate-resilient agriculture, flood prediction models integrated with machine learning systems, like IGNITIA, data-driven disaster management frameworks, and community-led resilience initiatives.

He said the target was to have a country where no community was abandoned to rising waters, failed rains, or eroding livelihoods.

Shettima, represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, disclosed, “A special intervention of N166 billion has been committed by the National Economic Council to fund the National Anticipatory Action Framework in 2026.”

He added, “We are strengthening national systems to ensure that early warning is not just issued but heard, understood, and acted upon at the last mile.”

He stated that the country’s vision was to become a nation that anticipated, not reacted.

He said, “The Nigeria we are building will not be one that waits helplessly for rescue. We will be a proactive nation, not reactive, resilient, not vulnerable.

“A nation where no community is abandoned to rising waters, failed rains, or eroding livelihoods. A nation where innovation meets governance, and data meets compassion.”

The vice president also said anticipatory action was not only a humanitarian necessity but also a development path and climate strategy.

“Anticipatory Action is not only a humanitarian necessity; it is a development pathway. It is a climate strategy. It is a governance strength,” he said.

He stressed the importance of timely and accurate data, stating that it helps to provide reliable early warning systems, and proactive financing.

The vice president stated, “And it is a moral duty. If we unlock the power of data-driven anticipatory action, we will build a Nigeria that withstands shocks, protects its citizens, and stands as a global model for resilience.”

He reminded participants that the gathering was “to chart a course that will redefine how Nigeria anticipates, prepares for, and responds to climate-related disasters”.

He stated, “This is not simply a conference, it is a national reset on how we safeguard lives, livelihoods, and the future of our communities,” adding, “Our Reality: The Climate Crisis Is No Longer a Distant Threat; Nigeria is already living the consequences.

“Floods sweeping through communities in over 26 states, year after year.

“Drought shrinking agricultural yields in the North-east and North-west.

“Cholera, meningitis, and vector-borne diseases rising with changing temperatures. Tens of thousands are displaced annually. Families losing livelihoods to rising waters or failed rains.”

He further stated, “Climate events. They are life-altering emergencies. They determine whether a family eats, whether a child goes to school, whether a business survives, and whether communities remain stable. The climate crisis is not abstract. It is personal, immediate, and local.

“The Opportunity Before Us: Turning Predictability into Protection. Amid this challenge lies an extraordinary opportunity. Around the world, Anticipatory Action (AA) has proven that if we act before a disaster hits based on data, forecasting, and science we save more lives, protect more livelihoods, and spend fewer resources.

“With accurate data, reliable early warning systems, and proactive financing, we can: Move families to safety before flooding

“Protect farms before drought damages seedlings. Deliver cash support before households’ resorts to negative coping strategies; Strengthen local systems before they are overwhelmed.

“This is common sense. It is smart economics. It is good governance. And above all, it is humane leadership.”

He cited government collaboration with the United Nations, International Rescue Committee (IRC), donors, and partners in Adamawa, where the programme had been a huge success.

“Their work shows that when data and proactive action meet, communities recover faster, cope better, and move forward with dignity,” he stated.

Shettima called on donors and partners to increase their investment in Anticipatory Action, stating, “Today, I call on both institutional and private donors: Now is the time to scale up anticipatory action financing in Nigeria, the window to act is narrow, the need is urgent.

“And the returns in lives saved and communities protected are extraordinary, every naira or dollar spent before a crisis saves multiple times that amount after a crisis. This is not charity, this is strategic investment in stability, economic growth, and resilience for Africa’s largest nation.”

He also urged the stakeholders to act together to strengthen data collection and hydro-meteorological infrastructure; expand forecasting capacity using advanced analytics and machine learning; develop accessible and reliable early warning systems; scale climate-resilient agriculture and water management; empower communities with tools, financing, and knowledge to act early; and review and cascade the National Anticipatory Action Framework to all states affected by floods and other climate induced disasters.

He warned, “We can no longer afford a response system where communities only receive help after devastation has occurred.”

In his opening remarks, Country Director, International Rescue Committee-Nigeria, Babatunde Ojei, said, “Anticipatory Action is more than an innovation; it is a lifeline. It is the power to act before a crisis becomes a catastrophe. It is the power to protect before families lose everything. It is the power to prevent suffering before it begins.”

Ojei said the gathering was more than a conference; “it is a turning point for our country. A moment where science meets leadership, where data meets decisive action, and where Nigeria demonstrates to the world that we will not wait for disaster to strike before we protect our people.”

He stressed, “For too long, our nation has suffered the harsh reality of a changing climate: floods, droughts, displacement, crop failures, food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods.

“These crises are not statistics; they are the lived experiences of ordinary Nigerians – farmers, mothers, children, traders, and entire communities struggling to survive forces beyond their control.

“But today, gathered in this hall, is the collective intelligence, leadership, and commitment necessary to change that story.”