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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has reported that 1.39 million hectares of cropland have been submerged by flooding in Northeast Nigeria, exacerbating an already severe food insecurity crisis. This announcement was made during the 2024 World Food Day (WFD) event held in collaboration with the Adamawa State Government in Yola.
Speaking at the event, Daouda Doumbia, FAO Head of Office for the Northeast, represented by Dr. Abdullahi Usman, FAO Field Office Coordinator for Adamawa, highlighted the significant impact of flooding between September 16 and 30. According to Doumbia, approximately 3.82 million hectares of land were flooded, with 1.39 million hectares of cropland affected, particularly in Borno and Adamawa states. The flooding has led to potential maize production losses of 486,000 tons, which would have been enough to feed four million people for a year.
The FAO official expressed concern over the region’s worsening food insecurity due to climate change, emphasizing that rainfed and irrigated crops lands in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY states) have been severely affected. Over 104,000 hectares of rainfed cropland and 6,570 hectares of irrigated cropland were submerged, leading to estimated food losses of 166,731 metric tons.
The event, which included visits to demonstration farms and the American University of Nigeria (AUN), also addressed the malnutrition crisis in Nigeria. Doumbia noted that about three million children under five are stunted due to inadequate access to essential nutrients. FAO is working to alleviate the situation by distributing ‘Tom Brown’, a locally produced high-nutrient food, to 4,680 children under five in the BAY states.
Prof. David Jatau, Commissioner for Agriculture in Adamawa,
Represented by Halima Mohammed, Program Manager, Adamawa Agricultural Development Agency, Jatau acknowledged progress toward achieving zero hunger by 2030, however, stressed that hunger and malnutrition still affect millions worldwide
In Adamawa, Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Human Services, Bello Diram, highlighted that flooding has affected over 50,000 people and damaged infrastructure and farmlands. He called for urgent intervention to support recovery efforts.
Dr. Abdullahi Usman, FAO Field Office Coordinator for Adamawa
Halima Mohammed, Program Manager, Adamawa Agricultural Development Agency
Adamawa, Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Human Services, Bello Diram
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