Buhari orders water resources minister to produce flood master plan within 90 days

President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed the Minister of Water Resources to lead and coordinate with the Ministries of Environment and Transport as well as State Governments to develop a comprehensive action plan for flood prevention in the Nigeria.

Buhari's directive, which was conveyed to the minister in a letter signed by his chief of staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, stated that the plan should be presented to him in 90 days.

A terse statement by Garba Shehu on Monday revealed the information to reporters in Abuja.

He added that President Buhari receives regular updates on the flood situation in the country and reaffirms his commitment to address the challenges caused by the disaster in the country.

It is unclear whether the president's directive is in response to criticism from some Nigerians who have accused the federal government of pretending to respond to flood challenges.

A recent report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) over the weekend put more than 1.5 million children at risk of dropping out of school and facing imminent health problems in due to the flood situation which is said to have affected 34 out of 36 states in Nigeria.