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500 confirmed dead from floods, 45,000 destroyed homes, and 70,000 acres of farmland nationwide

•FG asserts that this natural calamity is of a scale not witnessed since 2012

•The minister reassures there is no reason to fret over food insecurity.

James Emejo, Kasim Sumaina, and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Even though the federal government revealed yesterday that at least 500 people had perished in the previous several weeks as a result of the terrible effect of the natural catastrophe, the horrific situation of those affected by the flood in numerous states is becoming worse.

The federal government called a conference in Abuja that included representatives from all pertinent organizations involved in combating the problem.

The federal administration also disclosed that 45,249 homes have been completely demolished and 70,566 hectares of agriculture have been devastated, in addition to the 500 people who have already perished as a consequence of the national calamity.

Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, the minister of agriculture and rural development, however, said Wednesday that although Nigerians might voice worry over the disastrous floods that have hit the whole nation, there should be no panic in response to potential dangers to food security.

According to a recent article from THISDAY, a boat carrying more than 80 people overturned last Friday in the southern state of Anambra as residents frantically raced to flee floodwaters that had risen as high as roofs.

According to the nation’s National Emergency Management Agency, at least 600,000 people have been relocated in the same region (NEMA).

In addition to the devastating flooding that has affected regions along the Niger and Benue rivers, at least three of Nigeria’s overfilled reservoirs have spilled, leaving destruction in their wake.

According to representatives of the Kogi Red Cross Society, structures in the neighboring north-central Kogi state were swamped by water that surged to levels not seen in a decade a week before the tragic events in Anambra.

Communities that are on the banks of the River Benue in Nasarawa State and the River Niger that runs along the state line between Kwara and Niger are both significantly under water.

As a result of the flood, many residents in Lokoja are now without a place to live. Many travellers were left stranded since the roadways connected the North Central and Southern regions of the nation, the Red Cross reported CNN.

Nine regions along the Niger and Benue Rivers were damaged, according to Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

“Ibaji is almost completely submerged, whilst the other areas are about 30% above sea level.” We are consequently dealing with a terrible humanitarian crisis, but I want to reassure every individual, family, and community that has been impacted that aid is on the way.

THISDAY learned that the situation in Kogi had a negative impact on interstate travel, with some people becoming delayed in gridlock for days at a time.

Additionally, since tankers from the southern portion of the nation are unable to get via Kogi, a gateway from the south to the north, the situation has had a significant influence on the availability of petroleum in Abuja and its surroundings.

Bello emphasized that he was striving to lessen the effects of the flood, even though displaced people are now finding refuge in the houses of relatives and kind neighbors in nearby towns that were unharmed by the flood.

The discharge of extra water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon, which NEMA said was aggravating Nigeria’s already severe flood issue, was one of the reasons of the most recent wave of flooding, according to NEMA.

“By September 13th, 2022, the Lagdo dam operators in the Republic of Cameroun will start releasing extra water from the reservoir. We are aware that the released water floods villages that have previously experienced significant precipitation in Nigeria through the River Benue and its tributaries, according to a recent statement from NEMA.

The severe effects of the most recent flood are being felt in several states, not only Kogi in the north central region. Farmers in the neighboring state of Nasarawa, which is also dealing with floodwater rushing down the River Benue, are tallying their losses due to destroyed farms.

The same is true in northeastern Adamawa, where flood-related deaths are on the rise.

Many homes are now underwater in the south-east as well, as the River Niger broke its banks at Onitsha and Ogbaru.

THISDAY has learned that one of the main effects of the floods would be a lack of food since farmers in the north cannot transport their crops and livestock to the south and tanker trucks cannot transport gasoline to the north.

Apart from Ogbaru and Onitsha North, the local government areas of Onitsha South, Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Ayamelum, and Oyi are the most affected in Anambra.

The famous Ganaja road in Kogi, which connects to Ajaokuta, has been inundated, forcing motorists to park along the side of the road as they approach.

The issue is also anticipated to have an impact on rice prices in December, according to Olam Nigeria Limited, one of Nigeria’s largest agribusiness firms, which reported agricultural and infrastructure damage from the River Benue’s enormous flooding.

Vice-president of Olam Nigeria Limited, Ade Adefeko, described the occurrence as “extremely horrible” and claimed it had a negative impact on the company’s $20 million investment and around 25% of Nigeria’s rice demands.

“The whole farm crew tried extremely hard to stop the enormous damage, but it really harmed us. We provide around 25% of Nigeria’s rice requirements, and this has caused us to lose more than $20 million, he claimed.

“Whenever they report rain. It’s pouring, not actually raining. It’s awful, he continued.

The Olam Rice Farm is situated in Nasarawa state’s Lukubi Doma Local Government Area. With an investment of N140 million, the farm, which spans 10,000 hectares, is one of the biggest rice fields in Nigeria and all of Africa.

However, Sani Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, told media yesterday that the government was making every effort to solve the problem while also presenting the most recent information.

“Records from the field have shown that the 2022 flood is only similar to the 2012 flood in terms of human eviction, disruption of livelihoods, infrastructure damage, and environmental impact.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, the water levels in Lokoja and Makurdi along the Niger and Benue rivers are 11% higher as of October 9, 2022, than they were in 2012.

“To far, the flood has caused devastation in 31 federated states and the Federal Capital Territory” (FCT). 1,411,051 people are impacted, over 500 people are confirmed killed, 790,254 people are displaced, and 1,546 people are injured.

Furthermore, he said, “76,168 hectares of agriculture are partly damaged and 70,566 hectares of farmland are fully devastated by the enormous flood; 44,099 residences are partially damaged and 45,249 houses are wholly damaged.”

He stressed that NEMA had offered relief assistance to nearly 315,000 affected individuals throughout the flood catastrophe regions where state capacity had been overloaded. He continued by saying that relief goods were being made accessible to those in need.

“Building supplies for repair and rehabilitation as well as food and non-food items for emergency assistance are still being provided,” he said. From NEMA zonal, territorial, and operational offices spread over the nation, field assessments of the situation are continuously received.

Gwarzo said that crucial supplies had also been sent in order to preserve lives and that the people who were affected were already seeing the benefits.

He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari had authorized the release of 12,000 metric tonnes of grains from the national strategic grains reserve silos managed by the agriculture ministry as part of the federal government’s food intervention to mitigate the impact of inflation and the pre-harvest food shortage.

Floods: Abubakar Says There’s No Need to Worry About Food Insecurity

In the meanwhile, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, the minister of agriculture and rural development, stated Wednesday that there is no need to worry about potential concerns to food security.

He insisted that the federal government was doing all in its power to prevent hunger in Nigeria while addressing a media briefing to celebrate the 2022 World Food Day commemoration with the theme: “Leave no one behind, greater production, better nutrition, a better environment, and better Life.”

This, he said, is the reason why the Strategic Grains Reserves are so full with grains, and he added that several tactics are being implemented to make sure Nigerians don’t go hungry.

He said, “We don’t now have a food scarcity in Nigeria, and we want to make sure there won’t be. However, prices have increased.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Oxfam, however, underlined ongoing concerns to the nation’s food security on the same day the minister gave his promises.

The minister emphasized that President Muhammadu Buhari’s goal of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty was still on track, adding that the government had made significant investments in the agricultural sector and provided jobs for Nigerians.

The minister remarked in response to the flooding scenario, “We should be worried, and I won’t tell you there’s no need to be concerned, but panic, no! Because when you panic, you lose the capacity to collect yourself and come up with ideas. Don’t panic, but do be worried nevertheless; we are taking all necessary steps to remedy the situation and minimize any more harm. Additionally, the government is making every effort to end hunger.

But according to Abubakar, in order to protect lives and alter our agri-food systems, global solutions are more essential than ever in the face of growing dangers and global catastrophes.

In cooperation with other UN agencies and partners at the global and national levels, the FAO is actively working toward the accomplishment of food security and nutrition and supporting the essential transformation of agri-food systems.

Additionally, he underlined the federal government’s and FAO’s ongoing commitment to working together to boost the agricultural sector, improve food security, and help eradicate poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in Nigeria.

The minister said, “As we commemorate Globe Food Day in 2022, the world continues to struggle with a number of challenges, including wars, evictions, economic shocks, rising food costs, climate change, and other issues.

This has caused food shortages and impacted the world’s food supply; everyone must work together to bring about the necessary change for the globe.

He said, “Today is like a reminder to eat wisely and take into account the fact that millions of people cannot afford to buy one meal for themselves.

It’s crucial that we renew our commitment to this crucial occasion and its goal by raising awareness via increased global awareness, audacious action, and innovative enhancement of the channels that strengthen and make our food systems more equal.

However, Mr. Fred Kafeero, the FAO’s country representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, said in his comments at the event that a study done at the start of the year revealed that 19.4 million Nigerians in 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory were food insecure (FCT).

The danger of malnutrition increases as food instability climbs, he said. Two million youngsters are thought to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

To implement sustainable production and consumption of a nutritious diet, address the issue of post-harvest losses, and improve the effectiveness of the use of natural resources, we must harness the force of solidarity and collective action.

In a similar vein, Mr. William Mafwalal, Programme Manager, Just Economies, Oxfam, observed during the briefing that the West African subregion has seen an increase in the food crisis over the previous ten years, particularly in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Mali.

According to him, from 7 million to 27 million individuals would need emergency food assistance between 2015 and 2022.

He said, “Regardless of the environmental consequences, increasing production—as advocated by many for industrial agriculture—is not the answer to ending hunger. It is to assure more equitable distribution and to address demand-side issues that drive up food costs and encourage the use of farms for non-food uses, such the unsustainable production of biofuels.

“Global value chains are not the solution to ending hunger. The emphasis should be on promoting regional food production. As the conflict in Ukraine has shown, relying too much on global value chains has led to severe vulnerabilities since a significant portion of low-income nations depend on only a few major agricultural production nations to feed their populations.

NiMet alerts the states in the east and north of more river flooding in the future.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) issued a warning yesterday cautioning states in Nigeria’s north central and south eastern regions to prepare for additional flooding.

On the sidelines of the ongoing Hydro-meteorological status and outlook system (HydroSOS) in Abuja, NiMet Director General Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu made this statement.

Announcing that the Ladgo dam in Cameroon would continue to leak until next month, the Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) said this at the same time.

Speaking about the present flood effect throughout the nation, the NiMet DG indicated that while flooding as a consequence of rainfall may have peaked, states in the north central and the south-east might still be affected by the opening of dams and other water holding facilities.

“As you may recall, we predicted that the majority of the nation would have above-average rainfall in February and continued to do so with monthly updates.

We have therefore reached the peak of rainfall-related flooding, but keep in mind that we previously explained that rainwater is collected in dams and reservoirs and is filled whenever they are full.

“So, the Ladgo dam was opened on September 13. There were also released dams. Riverine flooding is what is happening right now. And based on the information we are receiving, there will be additional flooding.

“And the rains are now focusing in the southern and north-central states. As a result, there will be a mix of riverine floods and brief, intense rain. More of these floods will occur in the north central states, as in Kogi, as well as in the south eastern and south-western states, as in Anambra and some other regions of the south-west.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Kingdom Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) supported the HydroSOS workshop, which was hosted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. The director-general said: “It is no longer news to anyone here that water-related hazards and threats has become a global challenge in the face of a changing climate coupled with population growth.

“Water-related hazards harm millions of people every year and result in billions of dollars’ worth of property damage. As the full effects of climate change start to be felt on our planet, it is anticipated that risks related to water will increase.

In many regions of Africa, water-related hazards including floods and droughts are now a significant source of food shortages, hardship on livelihoods, health concerns, and conflicts.

Securing water supplies, creating a suitable water governance framework, maintaining the management of trans-boundary basins, managing flood and/or drought, and ensuring the protection and conservation of our ecosystem are among the water-related challenges that governments at all levels must address.

The availability of hydro-meteorological information and products catered to the demands of the various sectors has been noted as one of the key components to properly managing water resources and addressing some of the aforementioned difficulties.

In his keynote address, Capt. Abdulsalam Mohammed, Rector of the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), who also spoke at the event on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, noted that managing and distributing water resources as well as mitigating water-related hazards and disasters have proven to be difficult for governments around the world.

When planning in the past, there may have been a lack of hydro-meteorological knowledge, which the effects of a changing climate have made worse.

Sirika went on to say that the lack of information may be caused by a lack of local-scale data, a lack of regional to global coherence in hydrological information and modeling systems, a lack of adequate dialogue between the many stakeholders, and an unclear understanding of stakeholders’ needs for water management.

Due to these deficiencies, water managers and stakeholders are unable to accurately determine the availability of water resources on various spatiotemporal scales. Thus, impact-based, demand-driven, and users-specific hydrological information and products are required,” he continued.

NIHSA Director General, Engr. Clement Nze, stated in his remarks that the Ladgo dam in Cameroon would continue to leak water until November 18th of this year.

Even though the flood may be lessening in the country’s north, Nze predicted that it will continue to rise in the south. So, let’s get ready.

NIWA Expresses Sympathy to Anambra Government and Residents Over Boat Accident

Additionally, the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has expressed sympathy to the residents and administration of Anambra State after the recent boat accident there, which claimed ten lives in Umnnakwo, Ogbaru Local Government Area.

While expressing profound shock and regret, the agency noted that, while being a combination of technical and human error, the boat accident may have been prevented if simple safety precautions, such as donning life jackets and avoiding overloading, had been followed.

The wooden engine boat, after it had loaded 48 passengers, left for its destination, but at some point, the engine developed a mechanical fault and as a result, could not start again, according to a report from our Onitsha Area Office, the Authority said in a statement by its General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Jibril Darda’u.

The boat’s skipper made many unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, at which time the river’s wave and current began to drive the boat backwards toward the bridge connecting Umunnakwo and Ossomala.

While others attempted to push the boat away from the bridge, those passengers who could swim dove into the river for protection. Ten people died when the boat capsized after colliding with the bridge because those who couldn’t swim were trapped inside it and moved to one side out of fear (all women and children). 38 of the 48 passengers—33 adults and 5 children—were saved alive.

The statement continued, “Despite the multiple efforts of the Managing Director of NIWA Chief Dr. George Moghalu in distributing free life jackets to boat operators association in all of our 23 Area offices Nationwide and sensitization campaign and training for boat operators and water users on the importance of adhering to the safety guidelines on the waterways; to our dismay, it was revealed that only one of the passengers on board wore life jacket and was saved while o the other passengers were not wearing life jackets.

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  1. According to representatives of the Kogi Red Cross Society, structures in the neighboring north-central Kogi state were swamped by water that surged to levels not seen in a decade a week before the tragic events in Anambra.

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