Run-up to COP27: Nigerians count losses as recurring floods ravage country

Severe floods in Nigeria since 2012 have ravaged the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of communities in Africa’s biggest economy.

Recurring floods have claimed several lives and properties and displaced families across the country. Communities along the course of the rivers Niger and Benue were the most severely affected.

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Floods in low-lying areas are usually caused by the excess water released by the Egon dam in Cameroon.

This year’s flood is more severe than that of 2012, noted the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), an agency of the Nigerian government.

“The 2012 flood level was 12.84 metres whereas that of this year is 13.22 metres. The 2022 flood level has surpassed the former by 0.38 meters,” according to NIWA. 

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All 36 states are affected and the level of destruction and deaths is still unknown, said Manzo Ezekiel, the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesperson.

Annual floods adversely impact Nigerian farmers and will likely hamper the country’s food security in the next three months.

“Distress triggered by the recurring floods has led many farmers to die by suicide,” said Daniel Okafor, national vice president, All Farmers Association.

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The government should hold town hall meetings with farmers to sensitise them, Okafor added.

The Nigerian government was not proactive in mitigating the risk, he added. Flooding could be avoided if the government builds a reservoir to hold the released water. This water can be used for irrigation in the dry season, Okafor suggested.

Most farmers cannot insure their crops as they are unable to afford the premium for insurance.

“The government should reduce the premium to shield us from future odds. The frequency of floods has increased and we can’t predict them,” he added.

Nigerian government should make the schemes more farmer-friendly, he said.

“Recent floods destroyed our crops. I will not get anything from the potatoes I have planted,” he added.

A food shortage can be expected in the next three months, Okafor said. Flood has pushed the prices of essential items in the country.

It has affected nearly 2.5 million people across the country and prevented many from going to farms, according to Chukwumerije Okereke, the director of the centre for climate change and development at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Nigeria.

“This flood should be seen as a wake-up call. It is time to demand climate justice. Rich countries need to pay up and help Africa mitigate the crisis,” Okereke added.

The expert added that there are gaps in calculating loss and damage incurred.

“The damage is incalculable. Some 70 per cent of the Nigerian population is engaged directly or indirectly in various agricultural activities. Floods prevent them from going to farms. In this case, how do you assess loss and damage in an economy highly reliant on agriculture,” he asked.

Chukwumerije also insisted on developing climate-resilient infrastructures to combat extreme weather events.

“We need to plan better. We should have a climate resilient infrastructure approach. We need to consider the impact of climate change as we develop our infrastructure,” he added.

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