Wet season: Why some Niger communities may not produce crops
The destruction caused by the flooding has affected multiple communities, including Muye, Apataku, Egba, Ebwa, Bina, Achiba, Dere, Cheku, Sokun and Arah.
Triggered by the frequent overflow of River Gurara, the flooding has displaced many from their primary occupations of farming and fishing. Once-thriving farmlands that produced maize, rice and cassava in commercial quantities have now been silted and abandoned.
Some farmers spoken to from over 10 communities affected by the spate of flooding told Daily Trust they’ve been forced to seek farmlands in other areas within and outside the state. Fishermen, meanwhile, have also lost their livelihoods entirely.
A federal government-constructed embankment meters long and 7 meters deep—designed to prevent the river from overflowing, has collapsed four times since its initial construction. The last attempt to rebuild it was three to four years ago, but it failed again.
In addition to lost farmland, the once-busy Muye market, which occupied 2.6 hectares, has ceased operations. Locals now travel to distant communities to buy and sell goods.
Speaking with the Daily Trust, Ibrahim Saidu from Ebwa community emphasised the urgency of intervention.
“Some people have to migrate to other places now to acquire land to cultivate because we can no longer cultivate our lands. The lands have been silted by flooding. We have been forced to abandon these lands, and many of our youths have resorted to commercial motorcycle riding in Kogi State because we cannot acquire land for farming.
“We produce maize, rice and cassava all year round, both rain-fed and irrigation farming in commercial quantities, but for the past eight years, that has stopped. Since the flooding started, we no longer have the opportunity to plant rice, maize and cassava.
“Our economic activities have been destroyed. Nothing has been working for us again. We have lost our farmlands. Our major sources of income are farming and fishing, where we gain a lot. All have been lost because even the water bodies where we go for fishing have all been silted. Both the farming and fishing have stopped completely.
“We are appealing to the government to help reconstruct the embankment to stop the river from flowing to our farmlands and fish ponds to enable us to go back to farming,” he said.
Alhaji Salihu Muhammad, the ward head of Muye, confirmed the dire situation.
“Farming has not been easy for residents of the affected communities for the past 10 years,” he said. “Our market was completely destroyed four years ago. You cannot find a single structure in our market now.
“And when you ask how it affects us… Somewhere, there is Egba community where we have a very big stream with a lot of fish. Half of that stream has dried up because of the sand that the river brings each time it floods its banks.
“For farming, you don’t farm on sandy soil. You farm on a mixture of clay and loamy soil because pure sand will not allow crops to grow. And when you look at all our farmlands, half of them have been taken over by sand, and there is nothing we can plant there anymore. So, both the farmers and the fishermen are affected.
“The embankment was last reconstructed three to four years ago, and it collapsed during the last rainy season, causing devastating damage to our farmlands, silting more than half of the arable land we cultivate. But we have been battling this problem for over a decade.
“Many governments have intervened in reconstructing the embankment, but each time the river rises, whatever is done is destroyed.
“It is only the government that can help us because the community has nothing. The only thing we can offer is our support.
“The challenge we face has affected many communities. If you go by history, people of Muye, who are fishermen, have relocated because of the impact of the perennial flooding. We have lost even our canoes, but we still manage our lives,” he said.
The district head added that understanding the “language of water” is critical for any lasting solution.
“The people who live in the riverine areas understand the language of the water more than someone from outside. If you don’t understand the language of the water, you can come and do whatever you want, and before you know it, the river will wash it away.
“That is why I have advised contractors and project sponsors to work closely with the community and understand the language of the water. Whatever it tells them, they should take it seriously and work with it.
“The contractors should draw inspiration from past experiences. Why have all previous embankments failed? People from the community should not be excluded. Water has a language, and it must be understood,” he added.
Fatima Yusuf, the women leader, said the closure of Muye market had a profound impact on women as well.
“In fact, the flood situation in this area is terrible. This perennial flooding has caused a lot of damage to our communities. There is loss of lives and property, including residential buildings. We are begging the government to help us reconstruct the embankment because this is the fourth or fifth time it has been pulled down by the water.
“This also affects women because there are women farmers too. We also have women who are into trading farm produce, but today, all that has stopped. They have been pushed back to poverty,” she said.
During the flag-off of the embankment reconstruction, the Acting Managing Director of the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Mr Jimoh Haruna Gabi, announced that the project would cost over N600 million. He said the commission would also reclaim the 2.6 hectares of market land to enable farmers to resume their economic activities.
“The construction is expected to be completed in July, before the August rains. The real value of this reconstruction is to reposition the affected communities for greatness in terms of economic activities.
“By doing this, their standard of living as fishermen and farmers would be enhanced, and poverty can be alleviated because the mainstay of these communities is farming and fishing.
“If we’re able to do this, we are confident that the affected communities will regain their footing in terms of economic advancement.
“We have the intention of doing the embankment. We will equally reclaim the destroyed market land, and at the same time, we will look at the access roads that have been destroyed, because without access roads, economic activities would be hindered.
“The Member of the House of Representatives for Agaie/Lapai Federal Constituency has also requested the desilting of affected farmlands. We will look into that too. Our goal is the well-being of the people—ensuring that farming and economic activities are restored and enhanced,” he explained.
Also speaking, Abdullahi Mahmud, the House of Reps Member for Agaie/Lapai Federal Constituency expressed concern over the crippling impact on the local economy in the area.