The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), a non-governmental organization, has called on farmers and residents in flood-prone areas to heed warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and other relevant authorities regarding climate change.
Executive Secretary of the Organisation, (HEDA). Mr.Sulaimon Arigbabu made the disclosure during awareness and sensitization campaign on the effects of the climate change in communities of Demsa and Yola-South local councils in Adamawa state.
The campaign, part of the African Activists for Climate Justice project in partnership with OXFAM and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, aims to educate communities about climate change impacts and flood management.
Arigbabu emphasized that Adamawa is endowed with fertile agricultural land and dedicated farmers who need minimal support to maximize their potential and contribute to feeding both the state and the Northeast region.
“Adamawa is blessed with fatal agrarian land with committed farmers that need few support from the authorities to harness their potentials and by extension feed the state and the Northeast in general.” He added.
In interactive sessions held in Zurang, Mbamba, and Yolde-pate communities, HEDA’s team explained the importance of adopting drought- and flood-resistant seeds to mitigate crop losses. In Zurang, where floodwaters had already caused significant damage to farmland, HEDA provided practical advice on methods to minimize further losses.
The organisation also stressed the need for farmers to stay informed about climate change updates from relevant agencies before planting crops, whether in rainy or dry seasons.
On their part, the local farmers, including Mrs. Lakammi Yakubu from Yolde-pate and Mr. Yakubu Borough from Zurang expressed their gratitude for the timely intervention and pledged to share the information with their communities to enhance farming practices.
They also expressed their readiness to implement the lessons learned from the sensitization drive and appealed for additional support, particularly in the form of farming inputs and irrigation equipment. In addition, they also requested further assistance, including water pumps, generators, and borehole drilling for irrigation, to boost their yields.
HEDA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability through research, training, advocacy, and policy engagement.