Severe flooding across the states has continued to ravage farmland and submerge buildings with farmers saying the signs are ominous for food production.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed last week that the flooding has already claimed 185 lives and displaced 208,000 people in 28 states across the country.

About 107,000 hectares of farmland have been washed away, much of it in the north.

Hundreds of  private and public buildings and infrastructure were submerged.

Reports from different parts of the country yesterday showed that floods resulting from persistent rainfall  in Yobe,Niger,Zamfara,Gombe and Benue States,among others ,in the last few days have submerged more farmlands ,roads , and properties both private and public.

Taraba State,  which is often flooded at this time of the year when Cameroun’s Lagdo Dam is opened to release its excess water,has put in place a flood control team across all its  168 wards.

The various state emergency management agencies and NEMA are also mobilising  human and material resources to deal with the situation.

Most hit by the floods in Niger State are Mashegu and Magama local government areas where thousands of farmlands planted with rice, maize, yam, sorghum and millet have been devastated.

Farmers in the areas now lament that they have practically nothing to harvest later in the year.

Usman Danjuma, an Agricultural Economist in Minna, said the flooding could worsen the current cost of living as the prices of food might go up.

Farmers in Logo, Guma, Gwer-West,Agatu,Kwande, Makurdi ,Ado, Okpokwu, Otukpo,Buruku and  Katsina Ala local government areas of Benue State have also suffered huge losses caused by the flooding.

The affected farms are located along the banks of the Benue River  which usually overflows its banks at this time of the year.

The State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA) has embarked on an awareness campaign to educate farmers on the   prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) of  more rains this year.

Professor of Agronomy at J.S Tarka University, Makurdi, Daniel Agenda, called for the dredging of River Benue to enable it to absorb more  flood water, saying this would go a long way in saving farms along the banks of the river from incessant flooding.

Over 3,000 displaced from Kaduna agrarian communities

Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Usman Hayatu-Mazadu, said in Kaduna that 3,633 people have been displaced by floods in  five agrarian communities in Zango Kataf Local Government Area.

The North-West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA  Imam Garki said the recent flooding in  Fadan Tsoho, Zonzon, Zangon Kataf, Unguwan Wakili, and Zonkwa communities swept away farmlands and  livestock.

An Agricultural  Economist in the state , Mr Benjamin Kemje, asked government to assist farmers to recoup their losses, otherwise, they would increase food prices to make up for their losses.

Jigawa  and Zamfara states  have also been badly hit by the flooding.

Incidentally, many of the northern states are considered Nigeria’s food basket.

Last Friday’s rainfall in Zamfara seems to have only added to an already bad situation.

Like the earlier ones, the last rain left  many parts  of the state submerged and the residents helpless.

Many houses in Samaru area of Gusau and Gengerin Maigemu were taken over by flood.

Flood destroyed 1,650 houses in 2 towns in Yobe, says SEMA

Floods triggered by days of torrential rain, destroyed 1,650 houses in Jajere and Yunusari towns of Yobe,according to the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Mohammed Goje.

Goje told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu that a total of 413 households in the areas were displaced by the latest flash flood.

Goje said that a final assessment on the destruction caused by yet another flood in Yusufari, Wagir, Mutai Chirokusko, Bade and Potiskum towns was ongoing.

“ SEMA is conducting daily review meetings to assess the situation, update stakeholders and come up with immediate response plan in line with vulnerabilities of affected locations and resources available on ground,” he said.

Flood destroys 2517 houses,1000 hectares of farmland in Gombe – SEMA

The flood was equally devastating in Gombe State  where the SEMA said 2,517 houses and shops were either completely or partially destroyed in  33 communities.

The Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, Mr Ibrahim Nalado, named the affected communities as Dukku, Funakaye and Billiri Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.

On the impact of flooding on farmlands, the deputy director said Hina community in Yamaltu/Deba LGA of the state was the worst-hit.

He said that no less than 1,000 hectares of rice, maize, sorghum and millet farmlands were submerged in water.

The deputy director stated that his team visited Hina community on Friday, Aug. 30, to assess the level of damage.

Nalado described the impact of the flooding as ‘huge and devastating’ in view of the vast area affected.

“Farmers were getting ready to harvest their crops.

“The farmers were so worried but because it was a natural phenomenon, they accepted it in good faith,” he said.

The deputy director stated that data on the number of farmers affected by the flood were being collated at Hina.

Nalado stated that his agency had assessed the level of damage, but were compiling the reports to forward to the state government and other relevant agencies.

He, however, said that the level of damage on farmlands at Hina,  would take collective efforts of both the state and the Federal Government  to address.