According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the distribution began in Maiduguri, Borno State, with the state governor, Profe Babagana Zulum, in charge.
While thanking the committee for their assistance, Zulum promised that the items would be delivered to the victims.
"At the flagging off for the Northeast zone, Alhaji Umar Gulani, a representative of the Dangote-led Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, assured stakeholders that the exercise would also be conducted in the country's other five geopolitical zones."
"Gulani stated that committee items had been officially handed over to the Borno State Government and the National Emergency Management Agency,” the statement read.
The breakdown of items donated included 86 bags of rice; 34 bags of beans; 34 bags of maize; 34 bags of millet; 34 bags of Guinea corn; 34 bags of Garri; 86 cartons of noodles; 86 cartons of spaghetti’ 86 cartons of macaroni and 86 bags of sugar; and 857 bags of cement, among other food and non-food items.
Gulani was quoted to have said, “Over N10bn has been expended by the committee to mitigate the effect of flooding since inception in 2012, adding that no fewer than 84 hostels have been built for flood victims in 24 states of Nigeria.
This private sector-led project is highly commendable and it has been sustained in the past 10 years. It is a selfless service from the private sector and Nigerians should appreciate their selfless service to humanity.”
Reacting to the development, the Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, described the committee’s intervention as a milestone for Nigeria, and flood victims in particular.
“Responding to the humanitarian outcomes of this nature requires concerted effort,” Ahmed added.