Nigeria – Floods Destroy Crops and Homes in North

by in Africa, News

Thousands and homes and wide areas of crops have been destroyed in recent flooding in the states of Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto, northern Nigeria. As many as 30 people are thought to have died.

Flooded crops in Kebbi State, Nigeria, September 2020. Photo: NEMA

Jigawa State

Flooding in the state of Jigawa has reportedly damaged or destroyed 50,000 homes and affected 17 out of the 27 local government areas (LGAs). Wide areas of farmland is under water, damaging or destroying crops.

Local media quoting Jigawa State Emergency and Management Agency (SEMA) reported on 05 September that as many as 20 people have died in the flooding. Many of those fatalities were a result of building collapse.

Kano State

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 4 people have lost their lives after heavy rainfall and flooding in Kano state, northern Nigeria.

NAN said that the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed four persons killed and thousands of houses destroyed due to flooding.

The worst affected areas is Danbatta where around 5,000 houses were destroyed and 2 people died. Around 200 houses were destroyed in Rogo, where 2 other fatalities were reported.

Kebbi State

Meanwhile flooding has also affected north-western parts of the country, where 6 people have died in Kebbi state and 15 in Sokoto.

Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sent a technical team to carry out full assessment of the recent flood that has devastated communities and farmlands in Kebbi state from late August.

Flooding has affected the 11 LGAs of Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Suru, Koko-Besse, Yauri, Shanga, Bagudo, Maiyama, Jega and Dandi. At least 5 bridges were destroyed and as much as 500,000 hectares of crops including rice, millet, sorghum, maize and sugarcane.

At Kende in Kebbi, the Sokoto River stood at 5.03 metres as of 30 August. The Sokoto joins the Niger river just south of Kende. The Niger at the Jidere Bode measuring station in Kebbi jumped from 1.4 metres in mid July to 5.74 metres by late August.

Recently the Niger river caused severe flooding in the neighbouring country of Niger, including the capital Niamey. According to Niger’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, as of 24 August, over 40 people had died, 226,563 people from 24,259 households were affected and 19,234 houses destroyed.

Levels of the Sokoto river at Kende in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Image: Niger Basin Authority
Levels of the Niger river at Jidere Bode in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Image: Niger Basin Authority

Sokoto State

At least 15 people have died in flooding in 6 LGAs in Sokoto state in north western Nigeria.

A total of 5,254 people have been displace and 27,000 affected across the local government areas of Goronyo, Rabah, Sokoto-North, Wamakko, Silame and Binji.

Another 12 persons were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of collapsed buildings. Wide areas of crops have also been damaged.

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