2022 Flood: NAERLS reports N700 billion damages on food security

The National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) has submitted an official report which reveals about Seven Hundred billion naira (N700B) as being lost to 2022 flood incidences in food system of agriculture alone. 

NAERLS Executive Director (ED), Prof. E. I Ikani presented the 2022 assessment flood reports which contained this information to the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Mohmood Abubakar yesterday in his office at Area 11, Abuja yesterday.

Many areas of the damages caused by the flood in all the states were highlighted in the report with recommendations on how to avert such in the near future towards enhancing food security and agricultural development.

The N700 billion losses to agricultural related matters was broken down to include  estimated amount in the following order of affected crops, livestock, fish, agricultural structures and farmland, farm ban and huts inclusive.

 

Total amount of the loss to crops like rice, plantain, maize, cowpea sorghum, vegetables, yam, millets, cassava, groundnut, sesame, soybeans, potato and tomato was at the total cost of N384, 465,859,168.00, while assessment impact on livestock (cattle, poultry, goats, sheep, pigs and snails) is put at N93, 049,641.000.00

Also the assessment flood impact on catfish and tilapia is put at N100.256, 747,500.00 as the total loss on agricultural structures and farmland including farmland, road and bridges, farm buildings, fish pond, warehouse, farm store, farm barns, thatched houses, huts and pens totalling N120, 022, 573.000.00.

The concluding part of the 2022 flood assessment report stated that ‘’ the 2022 floods in Nigeria were caused mainly by heavy precipitation, ill-managed run-offs and unregulated river flow, especially from River Benue. The assessment showed that the 2022 flooding damaged crops, washed farmlands and destroyed livestock and fish resources, the enormous flood is a potential threat to food security. An estimated sum of N700 billion was lost due to the flood’’

Agric minister, Dr. Abubakar receiving the report agreed with clause of the report that expressed disappointment on Nigeria being unable to fulfil his own promise of building a buffer dam against flood incidences like Cameroon her counterpart, saying that excess release of water from Lagdo dam from Cameroon is responsible for the flooding in the country. From the beginning there was supposed to be two dams, Cameroon built hers, but Nigeria refused to build hers’’

Abubakar also in line with recommendation of the report suggested a need for building more dams for waters harvest to checkmate occurrences of flood against food security and environmental degradation of soil and its fertility to crops production. 

The following are the assessment recommendation of the report:

I. Dry season production of staple crops must be promoted across the country in both the formal and informal irrigation schemes to bridge the imminent food supply gap. Irrigation facilities such as tube wells, hand pumps and early maturing seed varieties should be provided to farmers.

 NAERLS in collaboration with state ADPs, FDAE, FDA should be funded to provide technical support to the farmers.

II. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources should URGENTLY consider building at least one dam on the Benue river for flow regulation. The long-proposed Dasin hausa dam in Fufore LGA of Adamawa state will serve as a buffer for the excess flow from Ladgo dam in Cameroon. 

III. River Basin Development Authorities should be mobilized and facilitated to undertake river training and desilting of major rivers within their catchment, improve the integrity of the banks and streamline the course for improved handling capacities and freer flows.

IV. Promotion of climate –smart agricultural practices through upgrading Flooding Early Warning System (FEWS), sensitization and education of farmers. NiMET, NIHSA should be supported for improved data collection and analysis while NAERLS, FDAE and FDA be funded for sensitization and dissemination of flood early warning systems.

V. National Agricultural Research Institutes should be charged and supported to breed and promote climate resilient (drought-tolerant, flood-resistant, and early maturing) crop varieties.

VI. Improving run-off management through the provision of erosion control measures in towns and villages and construction of underground water-harvesting reservoirs within the catchment of rivers and large streams.