Farming: How flood is drowning hope of Niger farmers
Perennial flooding has continued to ravage farming communities in Niger State, demoralising thousands of local farmers and threatening to undermine food security. The most recent disaster, caused by the release of water from the Jebba Hydroelectric Power Dam, claimed the lives of about three farmers and submerged vast stretches of dry-season rice farms worth billions […]
farming
Perennial flooding has continued to ravage farming communities in Niger State, demoralising thousands of local farmers and threatening to undermine food security.
The most recent disaster, caused by the release of water from the Jebba Hydroelectric Power Dam, claimed the lives of about three farmers and submerged vast stretches of dry-season rice farms worth billions of naira.
The devastation has left affected farmers in despair; with growing frustration over the lack of meaningful relief from government agencies. Many now question the viability of returning to their fields, raising serious concerns about the future of food production in the state.
Victims described the flooding as “catastrophic,” leaving behind a trail of destruction across rice farms and endangering the livelihoods of thousands.
Weekend Trust gathered that 80 per cent of the affected rice farms by the recent flooding were ready for harvesting. Some farmers estimated they would have harvested no fewer than 100 bags of paddy each before the disaster struck.
These communities had turned to dry-season irrigation farming after suffering similar losses during the last rainy season.
The affected areas include Ceganman, Sunti, Jaagi, Ketso, Kpanbo, Kpaceta, Zhiwu, Wuci and Tate — all in Mokwa Local Government Area. Additionally, many farmers in Katcha LGA and some in neighbouring Kwara State, are also impacted.
A trail of devastation uncovered by Weekend Trust showed that numerous farmers had taken out loans for the purchase of inputs and labour, with the hope of repaying after harvest — hopes that have now been dashed.
Alhaji Muhammad Audu Nagode, from Ketso community in Mokwa LGA, told Weekend Trust that one of his farms, where he expected to harvest over 100 bags of paddy, was completely destroyed.
“Many hectares of rice farms were submerged and completely destroyed. Both the farms ready for harvesting and the newly planted rice farms were destroyed. In fact, some people have already cut the rice, waiting for thrashing — all were washed away.
“The management of the dam did not inform communities before releasing the water. We just woke up to see water in large volume. It is very unfortunate. The water reached our area on Monday, April 14, 2025. It takes about two days to reach our side.
“In fact, one of my farms, three and a half hectares, was completely destroyed, including the solar panels installed to pump water. My children were able to recover the solar panels. I swear, I expected over 100 bags of paddy rice from my farm and other ones — 90 bags from one, and 130 bags from another.
“This flooding has drawn us backwards, seriously. The damage is enormous. Some people took loans to buy inputs and pay for labour. We were already complaining that the price of paddy rice had come down — and now this flooding disaster,” he said.
Nagode added that some farmers who lost their farms during the rainy season sold their livestock to invest in irrigation farming — only to suffer another round of losses.
Another victim, Alhaji Abubakar Ndako Kutigi, described the scale of destruction as massive.
“The livelihoods of farmers from across Niger State and others who migrated from Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina and Kano states are at stake. Many may now reconsider farming in Niger State due to the unpredictable the dam releases,” he said.
Kutigi called on key stakeholders — including the Niger State Governor, the Chairman of Mokwa LGA, the federal and state Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture, and Mainstream Energy Solutions (operators of the Jebba Dam) — to urgently intervene and halt further flooding.
“This is a crisis. Dry-season farming is now the only viable option for our riverine communities, and it is being washed away. The federal and state governments must act swiftly to prevent further losses,” he stressed.
Adamu Aliyu, another affected farmer from Katcha LGA, said the flooding had crippled the hopes of many farmers who had already lost their investments to the rainy season floods.
“This week’s flooding has affected many farmers in Katcha. The damage is enormous. Most of the rice was ready for harvesting. As I speak with you, some people now use canoes to harvest rice submerged in the water. Some have completely lost their investments because there’s nothing they can do,” he said.
“The most disturbing aspect is that most affected farmers took loans from individuals, promising to pay back in cash or with rice. When it comes to dry-season farming, Katcha LGA ranks among the top three in Niger State. But this flooding has dashed our hopes.”
Idris Mohammed, another farmer from Katcha, said his two-hectare farm was completely submerged.
“The rice was flowering. Now it’s rotten. What we have lost cannot be easily quantified — from the time, effort, and resources spent on inputs. It’s heartbreaking.”
Also speaking, Nda Bala expressed worry over the N1 million loan he took for the farm; now lost.
“I borrowed N1 million with a promise to pay after harvesting. The farm yielded well, but this flooding is a disaster. I was expecting more than 30 bags of rice, but I only managed to get eight. We had to use canoes to cut rice out of the water,” he said.
2024: The worst flood year in Niger
As of September 2024, at least 41,192 people and 6,865 households were affected by rainy season floods across 19 LGAs, including Mokwa, Katcha, Lavun, Lapai, Agaie, Shiroro, Munya, Gbako, Kontagora, Bosso, Edati, Agwara, Magama, Bida, Mashegu, Borgu, Gurara, Suleja, and Rijau.
According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, 11 lives were lost, and 34 communities were displaced.
The 2024 rainy season flooding also destroyed 246 school buildings, 18 bridges, and 80 culverts, compounding educational and mobility issues for affected communities. Over 118,692 hectares of farmland and more than 1,600 fish ponds were also washed away.
In Muregi ward alone, 51 communities were affected; another 31 were hit in Gbara ward. Affected primary schools and healthcare centres were reported across Muregi, Gbara, and Ja’agi wards.
Despite the scale of destruction, victims said they received no meaningful relief from either the state or federal government.
Abdulrahman Abdulkadir Wuye-Kede, President of Kede Youth Development Association, said, “2024 was the worst flood year in our communities. Despite media reports and documentaries, nothing came to us. The government promised food, building materials and clothes, but we have not seen anything.”
Abdulkadir lamented the poor communication of NiMet predictions to rural farmers.
“If you communicate via television, many of our people don’t have electricity. NiMet should collaborate with youth and community associations to get the message across in local languages. The National Orientation Agency is city-based and out of touch with rural realities,” he said.
Affected communities also criticised N-HYPPADEC for allegedly misplacing interventions due to political interference, leaving flood-prone areas without support.
Alhaji Muhammad Audu Nagode said, “Unfortunately, all promises by the government for relief have not been fulfilled. We have not seen anything to this moment.
“Many people won’t even talk to the media anymore. Every time the media reports our plight, the government remains silent. We’ve left everything in the hands of Allah.”