Abuja: The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Body of Banks' CEOs, has donated relief materials to alleviate the suffering of flood victims in Mokwa, Niger State. The donation was announced in Abuja by its Chairman, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, who is also the Group Managing Director/CEO of United Bank for Africa (UBA). He stated that the Governor of Niger, Mohammed Bago, and other government officials received the donations at the state government's Liaison Office in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the initiative aimed to fulfill a critical aspect of the banks' corporate social responsibility by presenting relief materials worth millions of naira, including bags of rice, beverages, vegetable oil, and mattresses. Alawuba expressed hope that these items would help ease the victims' burdens and restore a measure of comfort and dignity. He emphasized the banks' commitment to continue their partnership and support for initiatives that aim to rebuild and transform affected communities.
Alawuba also urged stakeholders to take lessons in planning to ensure that people build in the right way. Meanwhile, the state governor, Muhammed Bago, remarked that the gesture reinforced the critical role of private-sector partnerships in disaster response. He noted that the state had also received financial donations from individual banks, highlighting the importance of continuous collaboration with the public-private sector and financial institutions to address climate change and climate action issues.
Governor Bago expressed gratitude to the banks for their timely intervention. Other notable attendees at the event included Dr. Adaora Umeoji, Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Mr. Akin Morakinyo, Registrar of CIBN, and Mr. Hasssan Imam, Managing Director of Keystone Bank. Among others present were Mr. Hamid Joda, Managing Director of Taj Bank, and Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Government of Niger State (SSG), along with other senior government officials.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the flood in Mokwa Local Government Area began on May 29 and resulted in hundreds of deaths, the displacement of thousands, and widespread destruction of homes and key infrastructure.