The Governor of Niger state, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu has said that 50 people have so far been killed by floods since the beginning of the disaster and also property worth billions of naira destroyed.
Governor Aliyu made this known, yesterday, when he received in council,? the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who was on an assessment tour of villages affected by floods in the state.
The Governor said 50 people have been killed and several communities displaced by the flood and therefore pleaded with the federal government to help? the state in view of the need to? alleviate the sufferings of the people devastated by the flood.
He told the Minister of the readiness of some of the displaced communities to be resettled contrary to the previous happenings that people held on to some cultural believe not to leave their original home.
The Governor disclosed that the state government has released the sum of N150 million to feed over 42,000 households displaced by floods in the state.
Aliyu said the? 42,000 households are spread across 15 local government areas? of the state ravaged by flood adding that the people would need the support of government for the next 15 months.
Meanwhile, the Governor responding to the request of the Minister , directed that 60 youths from the state be sent to Kenya to study rice farming technology to enhance rice production in the state.
The? Minister of Agriculture, had earlier? promised to partner with the Niger state government in the introduction of high yield rice seedlings to farmers in the state to boost agricultural production.