Floods in Nigeria destroy crops for 8.5 million people

Floods in Nigeria have devastated crops that could have fed 8.5 million people for six months, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Bloomberg News reports that the floods hit just as the harvest season began, submerging farmland in Africa’s most populous country. Farmers, who expected a bumper harvest this year, have seen their groundnuts, vegetables, and rice fields flooded.

Moreover, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has expressed concern over worsening floods in Nigeria, which are further aggravating the country’s already critical food security challenges. The floods, affecting 29 states, have displaced thousands of people, destroyed farmland, and claimed lives. As of early September, over 2.5 million individuals had been affected, with approximately 200,000 displaced.

FAO is particularly worried about the potential for increased hunger, as nearly 31.8 million Nigerians are already facing the threat of severe food insecurity. “Flooding continues to push vulnerable communities deeper into poverty, and the extensive loss of farmland will significantly impact food security. Immediate, coordinated efforts are essential to prevent a growing humanitarian disaster,” said FAO’s interim representative, Koffy Dominique Kouacou.

By 10 September 2024, FAO had documented that 1.3 million hectares of land, including 558,000 hectares of cropland, had been submerged. Flood levels are expected to rise further as rivers swell and dams near capacity, putting more communities in Northern Nigeria at risk. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned that further flooding is imminent in the northeast and western regions, with Borno, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states at the highest risk.