The grim reality of the massive flooding witnessed in the country was further exposed at the weekend.
It emerged that Nigeria is on the verge of a major food crisis, with rice and yam – especially production falling far below expectation.
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in his home state – Bayelsa – which is virtually under water, said the Federal Government would build more dams to prevent flooding.
He also hinted of the plan to import seedlings for farmers who have been affected by the floods.
Dr. Jonathan spoke after inspecting the affected areas.
He said: “So, what government can do is to make sure that we build more dams in the Benue system. At present, we are building the Kasambila Dam that will be completed in 2014 and even that one , my commitment is to fast track it to make sure we discuss with the contractor, even if we will pay more money.
“By the time we build two or three more dams in the Benue section and the Niger river , we may still get more water coming in, but it will not be to this level because the dams hold the water and release it gradually.”
The President described the flooding as global, having affected the entire world from Asia to Europe and Africa.
Dr. Jonathan also addressed flood victims at the Sports Complex Camp in Yenagoa, said: “The main interest is that when the flood goes down, how will they survive? We are working very hard because all their crops are gone; whole forest is flooded and in most cases even their planting seedlings, plantain suckers, cassava cuttings etc have been destroyed.”
He said the government was working on modalities to provide plants of short time growth that could withstand flood to farmers, saying: “We are looking at different options of importing these items to give them, also looking at how we can get varieties of plants that will mature in a very short time, something like maize that can mature in three months. We are also looking at the ones that will mature in 50 days, rice that will endure some levels of flooding and so on.
“These are the areas the Ministry of Agriculture is working on.”
President Jonathan recalled the 1969 flood that he witnessed in the lower part of the Niger Delta.
In his view “the current flood is even faster in going down”. “This one is even faster. I believe before the middle of November, most of the communities will be out of the flood,” the President said.
There are indications that the flood may affect rice production and other food items.
It was also learnt that some forces are making moves to ask the government to review the 10 per cent duty on imported rice, which it has included in the 2013 budget.
The massive floods have washed away many farmlands where staple foods, such as rice, maize, yam, are being grown.
Farmlands in Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Adamawa, Kano, Kebbi, Plateau and Edo have been washed away.
According to a source in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the government is already taking stock of the situation, especially on its implications on rice production.
The source said: “We have got some reports on how farmlands, especially rice fields, were destroyed by floods in some of these states. We are taking more stock, the government is on top of the situation.
“For instance, 4,700 inhabitants of communities in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, namely Bele, Emi, Faigi, Tswatako, Patako, Tada, Shonga, Edogi Dukun, Yemagi, among others, were rendered homeless due to heavy rains.
“Similarly, over 3,200 hectares of rice plantation under the authority of Tada-Shonga Irrigation Scheme in Edu Local Government Area, also in Kwara, have been washed away by flood.
“Some rice producing areas, like Warawa, Doguwa, Wudil, Gabasawa, Ajingi and Gaya local governments in Kano, are affected.
“The flood disasters in rice farmlands came at a time Minister of Agriculture Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is driving a massive local policy on rice production.”
It was learnt that some pressure groups and experts have been “making representations to the government to reconsider increase in tariffs on rice in the absence of adequate local production which could lead to skyrocketing of rice prices,
The source added: “It is true that some people are agitating for the review of the proposed tariff structure with a view to maintaining sanity in rice prices for the average consumer of this staple product.
“But, as a responsive government, it needs to take stock of the situation before determining whether it should change its policy on rice as announced in 2013 Budget.”
Another source in the National Emergency Management Agency said: “We have reports on farmlands that were washed away. Most of the 19 states affected by floods had their farms hit too.
“In Plateau, about 100 villages and 4,000 hectares of farmlands were destroyed in some local governments like Kanam, Wase, Shendam, Lantang North, Lantang South, Mikang, and Qu’an Pan, Jos East and Jos North.
“In Benue State, thousands of farmlands were also submerged, with nothing to harvest at the end of the day.
“But I think the Minister of the Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafia, recently confirmed the magnanimity of the disasters on farmlands.
“She said the consequences of the floods are that there are huge losses of farmlands; there are likely threats to food security; we are likely going to have challenges that have to do with the health of the people in some areas.”
