The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has stated that the recent floods across the country have damaged up to 16,488 hectares of farmlands with crops in 27 states across the country.
The Agency disclosed this in a press statement on its official X handle where it provided an update on the recent floods across the country,
According to the statement, over 32 thousand houses have been damaged by the flood and about 227,000 people were affected by the disaster from data made available by statement emergency agencies.
It further noted that the agency has begun deployment of relief materials to affected communities to complement efforts by state governments across the country.
It stated, “The Agency has also commenced deployment of relief items to complement efforts by the various State Governments to provide succor to persons affected by the floods.”
“Furthermore, NEMA shall continue with public sensitization as well as grassroots awareness through advocacies and workshops on solid waste management to raise public consciousness on clearance of blocked drainages and water ways.”
“So far based on statistics from the NEMA Emergency Operations Centre established for the flood monitoring and coordination of resource deployment indicates that 27 states have been impacted with a total of 227, 494 persons affected and 32,837 houses damaged as well as 16,488 hectares of farmlands with crops also damaged.”
Advise to farmers and members of the public
The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to coordinating and providing the necessary support for effective disaster management in the country. She emphasized that communities at risk of flooding and those living along waterways should relocate to safer higher grounds before the peak of the rainy season.
She also urged all stakeholders, especially SEMAs and community leaders, to be prepared to activate flood response plans at short notice due to the increasing incidents in some regions of the country.
Additionally, the Director General advised farmers not to panic about the temporary dry season affecting some states, reassuring them that the situation would soon improve as indicated in the seasonal climate predictions.
Impact of the flood in Jigawa state
In a related report, the Jigawa state emergency agency has reported the destruction of over 2000 hectares of farmlands in the state over the recent floods in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr. Haruna Mariga, reported in Dutse on Wednesday that the disaster had affected 10 local government areas of the state.
Dr. Mariga explained that the deaths resulted from building collapses, drowning, and canoe mishaps. He noted that the disaster had caused 16 deaths, displaced 3,936 individuals, and submerged 2,744 hectares of farmlands. He added that the situation might worsen due to the anticipated high volume of rainfall.
Why this matters
Reports of another flood destroying farmlands and residential apartments in the country could worsen the ongoing cost of living crisis in the country and exacerbate the food insecurity. It could also dampen efforts towards increasing food production in the country as the dry season approaches.
Experts have noted that the current high food prices in the country is an aftermath of the 2022 floodings that ravaged the country especially the Northwest, Northcentral, Southeast and Niger-Delta region.
A study by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that Nigeria lost up to $9 billion to the 2022 floods across the country.
The overall impact of the flood varied across the selected states. Nearly all (99%) of the households interviewed in the NBS report in Bayelsa were affected by the floods in some way. This was followed by Jigawa (94%), Nasarawa (70%), Kogi (70%), Delta (57%), and Anambra (23%).
