President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate the disaster relief fund (DRF) committee on May 13.

According to an invitation by Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, the launch and inauguration of the committee will be held at the council chamber of the State House, Abuja.

The planned inauguration follows a directive by the federal executive council (FEC) on September 23, 2024, calling for the establishment of a coordinated national strategy to respond to disasters.

Edun said the launch will mark the commencement of the committee’s mandate to develop a nationwide disaster-response and climate-resilience framework.

The committee will be chaired by Tony Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings, representing the private sector.

Other members of the committee include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (representing sub-national governments); Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare; and Abubakar Bagudu, the minister of budget and economic planning.

Others are Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation; Joseph Utsev, minister of water resources; Balarabe Lawal, minister of environment; and Zubaida Umar, the director-general of the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

[TheCable]