Floods Ravage Farmlands Nationwide, Threaten Food Security

Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported extensive damage from recent floods, which have devastated over 16,000 hectares of farmland and forced farmers in several communities to harvest their crops prematurely to mitigate losses.
The floods have particularly impacted Maiduguri, Borno State, where overflowing riverbanks and the collapse of the Alau Dam on the Ngadda River have led to widespread inundation. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 239,000 residents have been displaced as buildings are submerged. Authorities are scrambling to evacuate inmates from a flood-affected prison, and the floods have also led to zoo animals escaping, causing further panic among residents.
This year’s flooding, although not as severe as the 2022 crisis that displaced over 1.4 million people across 34 states, highlights ongoing issues with Nigeria’s flood management and emergency preparedness systems.
The floods have exacerbated the nation’s food security crisis, with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation forecasting that 26.5 million Nigerians will face food insecurity this year, up from 18.6 million last year. The 2024 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), released in April by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), had predicted high flood risks for 148 local government areas (LGAs) across 31 states, including Borno. The AFO also identified 249 LGAs in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as being at moderate risk.
The report highlighted states such as Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, and Borno as particularly vulnerable due to erratic rainfall patterns and inadequate flood management infrastructure. Recommendations included improving early warning systems, upgrading flood defenses, and enhancing institutional capacities for effective flood response and recovery.
NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, revealed that the agency had proactively issued warnings and convened meetings with stakeholders, including state governors, about the flood risks early in the year. “We sent out alerts and held discussions on flood forecasts and mitigation strategies. We also utilised radio jingles to inform residents in flood-prone areas,” Ezekiel said.
The severe flooding in Borno has been described as the worst in over 30 years. However, other states listed in the AFO report are also experiencing significant flooding. In Jigawa State, recent floods resulted in 39 deaths, displaced over 15,000 people, and damaged 8,500 houses. In Adamawa State, floods in August led to six deaths and displaced more than 12,961 individuals.
Gombe and Yobe States have reported substantial damage, with over 4,000 houses and farmlands destroyed. In Kaduna, nearly 4,000 people have been displaced, while Kano has recorded 31 deaths and significant property damage. Zamfara and Bauchi states have also faced considerable losses, with damages running into billions of naira.
In Anambra and Bayelsa states, farmers are harvesting crops early due to fears of imminent flooding.
Executive secretary of Anambra SEMA, Paul Odenigbo, noted that many farmlands have already been submerged due to rising water levels.
NEMA has issued alerts to additional states, including Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa. To support the response in Maiduguri, NEMA has deployed equipment from Jigawa, including life jackets, rescue boats, and a mobile water treatment plant.
Ezekiel emphasised the need for preparedness in central and southern states, noting, “As the water naturally flows downward, it is crucial for all regions to be ready for potential impacts.”
Experts have expressed growing concerns that the recent flooding crisis with the attendant widespread damage to farmlands and the disruption of agricultural activities, have significantly impacted food production, raising uncertainty about the government’s ability to stabilise or lower food prices by November this year as previously intended. With extensive farmland lost and agricultural supply chains disrupted, they argued that achieving the ambitious goals of food price reduction now appears increasingly uncertain.