Stakeholder’s Engagement

Stakeholder’s engagement meeting with community stakeholders aimed at informing them about the project, the goal, objectives and outcome; to prepare their minds for the disaster ahead as well as to solicit stakeholders by-in, support, participation and sustainability of project.

The stakeholders were informed that the project as the name implies is a 45day’s project and the project will be strengthening disaster preparedness in highly probable flood risk LGAs (Makurdi and Agatu) in Benue and (Lokoja) Kogi states and that the objectives of the project are; to mitigate the impact of flooding across high risk areas, affected beneficiaries receive safe and timely delivery of aid and vulnerable groups receive protection through effective government contingency plans
The facilitators explained that the programme intervention area includes:

1. Early Warning Messaging: this will include messages targeting high risk flooding areas to trigger relocation and resettlement to mitigate loss of lives and properties the action will be backed by strong advocacy to government agency to provide alternative shelter or provisional shelter in the minimum for safe relocation while vulnerable groups receive priority.
2. Psychological support and SGBV (referral pathways): This aspect will look at orientating counsellors to provide psychological support to the affected populations, training to the volunteers and service providers, provision of drugs, disseminating information on referral pathways and how to access service providers – both in print and media format. The purpose of this action is to ensure that persons affected by the conflict or SGBV have information on how to access services and support.
3. Response: This activity will focus on prepositioning of NFIs and WaSH items (basic household items including, mattresses, blankets, toothpaste/brushes, dignity kits) and some cash-based intervention for affected population on the vulnerability index.
4. Anticipatory actions: some tools will be procured to facilitate fumigation and effective sanitation of temporary shelter in addition to desilting of drainages and opening of blocked drainages. Another target beneficiary group will receive Cash transfers on a cash-for-work basis as incentives for vulnerable households working around there communities to mitigate the impact of the anticipated flooding including, desiliting of drainages and opening blocked drainages and construction of improvised ones including shelter preparations for temporary resettlement of vulnerable and at risk populations in the event the displacement happens, there are items to respond with quickly. Other anticipatory activities will include; massive sensitization and awareness creation about flood risks, mitigative actions to be taken through town halls, radio jingles, hand bills, posters and interactive radio programmes.
5. Health: the health intervention will ensure proper care for PLW, adequate nutritional supplements for infants prepositioning of basic medical supplies against prevalent diseases informed by the epidemiological forecasts of the flooding in addition to PPEs supply for Covid 19 main-streaming.
   The facilitators briefly stated that this project will be targeting women, children, aged and sick persons with underlying conditions requiring special needs: they will be targeted with medical supplies, and other aid items.
   The facilitators ceased the opportunity to inform the stakeholders of the up coming development of the state contingency plan and emergency response plan scheduled to hold next week. they added that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is working on preparedness and response activities to support ongoing mitigative measures by the Min of Environment and projections and that although, the contingency plan for Benue State has been reviewed, they will be developing the emergency response plan and this will be the joint effort of the LGA stakeholders – comprising of the Chairman/vice, the HoDs, information officer, NPF, NSCDC, NYSC coordinator, CAN, JNI, NOA, Traditional Council and the media.