By Abdullahi Lukman
The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) has urged the Federal Government to increase funding for flood mitigation, saying the recently approved N80 billion intervention fund is insufficient to address the scale of anticipated flooding in vulnerable communities.
The appeal was made during a three-day management consultative meeting in Ilorin, where state coordinators and area officers from the commission’s mandate states met to review ongoing projects, assess operational challenges and improve service delivery.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, the Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, said the commission had sustained annual flood sensitisation campaigns in partnership with state governments, traditional institutions and the media to prepare vulnerable communities ahead of the rainy season.
He added that the commission had also commenced resettlement programmes for residents in flood-prone communities by constructing houses in safer locations and encouraging affected families to relocate to higher ground.
While commending the Federal Government for approving the flood intervention fund through the National Economic Council, Yelwa described the move as a proactive step but stressed that additional resources would be required to effectively manage the looming flood risk nationwide.
Yelwa also expressed concern over the commission’s funding challenges, noting that N-HYPPADEC is yet to receive its statutory allocation from hydroelectric power generation companies.
He said the commission has relied mainly on budgetary allocations and contributions from member states to sustain its operations.
On the implementation of the “No Work, No Pay” policy, the managing director said the measure aligns with existing public service regulations, insisting that workers who fail to report for duty without valid reasons should not receive salaries.
He expressed optimism that the consultative meeting would strengthen collaboration with state governments, improve project implementation and encourage greater community participation to ensure the sustainability of development projects across hydroelectric power-producing areas.