‘Monster floods’ tensions in 31 states spark food crisis concerns

•10 states may be worst hit

•35 million Nigerians, 19 million hectares of farmland at risk, experts issue strong warning

•To minimize losses, farmers mobilize for insurance

•How we lost machines, other assets in 2022 catastrophe – Bayelsa investor in cassava, plantain, yam, cucumber

Here is experts’ dire warning to 31 states on the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook, AFO, report presented by the Federal Government: People will die, property will be destroyed, food crisis will worsen as thousands of hectares of farmland will be washed away by ‘monster’ floods if you do not act to stop the looming catastrophe.

According to the report, 35, 870,100 Nigerians are at high risk from floods between last month (April) and November in what many have now called ‘monster floods’ months’.

Projected to be worst hit are 10: Kano, Lagos, Taraba, Jigawa, Kogi, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Ogun and Niger.

Responding to the threat, last week, experts warned governments at all levels to prioritise investment in flood prevention infrastructure as a panacea to the looming floods.

They said that there was an urgent demand for relevant authorities to swing into action to mitigate the impact of the predicted floods.

To minimize losses, farmers are being mobilized for insurance of their produce by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).

In 2012, Nigeria suffered disastrous floods when, in terms of human, material, and production loss, 363 people were killed, 5,851 injured, 3,891,314 affected, and 3,871,53 displaced.

At the said time, Kogi was the worst affected with 623,900 people displaced and 152,575 hectares of farmland destroyed, according to a Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who called the floods “a national disaster”.

Also in 2022, floods devastated many parts of the country.

From the Federal Government data, the floods displaced more than 1.4 million people, killed over 603 and injured about 2,400. About 82,035 houses were reportedly damaged while 332,327 hectares of land were submerged.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, had, earlier this month, announced the 2024 AFO.

Utsev had said: “The 2024 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) shows that part of 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 31 States of the Federation fall within the High Flood Risk Areas, while part of 249 LGAs in 36 States of the Federation and the FCT fall within the Moderate Flood Risk Areas.

“The High Flood Risk States are Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe.

“High Flood Risk Areas between April and November 2024. The level of floods in this category is expected to be high in terms of impact on the population, agriculture, livelihoods, livestock and infrastructure, and the environment.“

Part of 72 LGAs across the country fall within the High Flood Risk areas in April, May and June while part of 135 LGAs in July, August and September; and part of 44 LGAs in October and November 2024 are within the High Flood Risk zones.

“Moderate Flood Risk Areas between April and November 2024; Moderate impact level floods are expected in parts of 63 LGAs within April, May and June; and in parts of 221 LGAs within July, August and September; and parts of 100 LGAs within October and November 2024.