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Kwa Agboughul is a community in rural Makurdi, Benue state, Nigeria, that primarily thrives on agriculture and fishing. Rice, vegetables, and cassava are the main crops grown here, and the community’s abundance of vegetables attracts traders from Abuja and Jos. However, the community’s resilience is being tested by the increasing frequency and severity of floods.
Moses Ahangbahan, a resident of the Kwa Agboughul community, recalls a time when the area was bustling with activity, with ships docking and farmers reaping bountiful harvests. But now, the floodwaters have taken over, displacing crops and disrupting livelihoods. “…Floods used to come every ten years but come every year now. We can’t get corn anymore, water has destroyed them. The original settlers of this place used to farm but no longer do as fishermen have taken over now due to the flood. When water dries up, they leave”.
The flooding is caused by a combination of factors, including the construction of a fish farm, the shallow River Benue, and erratic rainfall patterns. The flooding not only destroys crops but also prevents fishermen from accessing their boats and nets.
In his words, “When I was young, this situation was not persistent. Ships used to come here but they can’t anymore. We have railway tracks here and River Benue is no longer as deep as it used to be, it has become shallow and flood happens even from small drops of rain so causing it to spread everywhere. The flood should dry up by November 10th and 11th the rain should stop and we can then continue farming. We engage in dry season farming so we don’t lose our crops”.
The community’s economic losses are substantial. Farmers can no longer rely on their crops for income, and fishermen are left idle for months at a time. This has led to hunger and poverty, forcing families to rely on loans and thrift to survive.
The government has attempted to provide assistance, but the aid has been inadequate. In one instance, residents received a single carton of noodles to share among a family of ten. The Graduate Employability Skills (GES) Programme, initiated during the Buhari’s administration, was more helpful, as it provided farmers with farming implements at reduced costs.
Ahangbahan believes that the government can enhance support for the community by improving access to climate information, enabling residents to make informed decisions about when and what to plant. With proper support, they can rebuild their livelihoods and continue to contribute to the region’s agricultural production.
Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resources Centre) is a non-governmental organisation and non-partisan human rights and development league.