Facing the Flood: Nigerian Farmers Anxiously Await Rising Waters
Devastating floods are looming in Nigeria's Benue state, a crucial food-producing region. As farmers brace for the worst, the potential destruction threatens to worsen food insecurity and economic challenges in a country already grappling with inflation and a high cost of living.
By EEW Magazine // Global News // Natural Disasters
Enoch Fater wades through a waterlogged rice farm, assessing the impact of rising water levels on his crops in Benue, Nigeria September 19, 2024. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye
In the heart of Nigeria's fertile Benue state, farmers like Enoch Fater are bracing for the worst. Rising water levels in his paddy rice field and a nearby major river signal impending floods, threatening to destroy his livelihood, reports Reuters.
Just two years ago, Benue was devastated by the worst floods in a decade. The Benue River overflowed its banks after heavy rains and water releases from Cameroon's Lagdo dam. Now, with Cameroon again releasing water due to intense rainfall in West and Central Africa, Fater and his community are on edge.
View of a rice farm in Benue, Nigeria September 19, 2024. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye
A Looming Disaster in Benue State
"My farm is almost covered with water again," Fater lamented, wading through his knee-high flooded field. He had hoped to earn at least 800,000 naira ($495.60) from his 1-hectare farm this year, but those dreams are slipping away “because of the water again."
Benue is Nigeria's breadbasket, supplying staples like rice, cassava, and yams. Floods would be a disaster, destroying farms and driving up food prices in a country already struggling with double-digit inflation and a high cost of living crisis.
Children gather around a traditional cooking pit as a woman walks by with farm produce in Benue, Nigeria September 19, 2024. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye
The Ongoing Threat of Flooding
Flooding is, unfortunately, a too-familiar threat for communities in Benue state. The region's location near the confluence of the Benue and Niger rivers makes it prone to seasonal flooding. However, in recent years, the severity and impact of these floods have intensified due to a combination of factors. Heavy rainfall, pollution of the rivers, and the release of water from dams upstream in Cameroon have all contributed to increasingly devastating floods.
For farmers like Enoch Fater, this means an ongoing battle to protect their livelihoods. "The flood is a regular problem here," he explained. "We are always at the mercy of the flood. When the flood comes, it destroys everything."
A woman prepares food on a makeshift outdoor stove in Benue, Nigeria September 19, 2024. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye
Communities on Edge
For young trader Aondonese Nyor, the looming floods bring back painful memories. "I am arranging my things to pack. But if the water comes, I don't have anywhere to (go), that is my fear," the 24-year-old shared. During the 2022 floods, Nyor had to live with relatives.
Back at the farm, Fater tries to stay hopeful. "I am here until the flood is up to a high level," he resolved, adding that he could relocate if authorities "provide a specified place for people who are stranded to stay."
A Call to Prayer and Action
As the waters rise, the people of Benue anxiously await their fate. Their story is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and livelihoods in the face of natural disasters. It's a call to prayer and action rooted in compassion for our brothers and sisters around the world impacted by such challenges.
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