Farmers in Nigeria are racing against time to save their crops from the ravaging floods, as concern mounts over a bad harvest due to submerged farmlands.
Despite the emergency, the Federal Government has reaffirmed that the reconstruction and expansion of the Alau Dam in Borno State is ongoing as scheduled and will provide lasting solutions to flooding, water supply, and agricultural needs in the Northeast.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, gave the assurance during an inspection tour of the dam in Maiduguri, where he noted that the first phase aimed at controlling floods commenced in March 2025 and will be concluded in September 2025. The second phase, for overall upgrading, is to be executed between October 2025 and March 2027.
“This intervention is not just to prevent another disaster, but to reposition this dam as a multipurpose facility for drinking water supply, irrigation, and even hydro-power generation,” Utsev said, recalling the September 2024 overflow that caused catastrophic flooding, loss of lives, and damage worth billions of naira.
In Niger State, flood has destroyed rice farms in over 30 communities, and quite a number of farmers have been displaced to the upland in preparation for dry season farming. In Ebonyi State, although it has not suffered any major flood disasters yet, farmers are worried that incessant rainfall may result in waterlogging and poor yields, especially in rice-producing areas.
From submerged rice fields in Abakaliki to eroded farmlands in Mokwa, the story remains the same: farmers battling against the fury of nature, uncertain whether this year’s crop will survive.
