Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan pledged $110m to mitigate flood damage

Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan pledged $110m to mitigate the damage caused by "unprecedented" floods, in a special message to the country broadcast early on Tuesday.

The flooding caused by heavy seasonal rainfall has impacted states across the country, with the Red Cross saying last week that at least 148 people have been killed and 64,000 displaced.

"Unprecedented floods have ravaged many parts of our country rendering tens of thousands of Nigerians homeless and causing massive destruction of property farmland and infrastructure," Jonathan said in the broadcast.

He then promised 17.6bn naira ($110m) to address the situation, with most of the funds going to the affected state governments.

He said he planned to personally visit some of the flooded areas.

The Red Cross last week issued an emergency funding appeal to procure urgently needed relief materials, including temporary shelter, also warning of the heightened risk that water-borne diseases like cholera could spread.

The rainy season in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with about 160 million people, runs roughly from March to September.

Jonathan's office issued a statement late on Monday instructing all news channels to carry the 07:00 address.

October 09, 2012