Flooding along the banks of River Benue has brought yearly disasters to the people of Benue State in north-central Nigeria, especially to the residents of Makurdi, Tarka, and Otukpo Local Government Areas of the state. The Benue State Emergency Management Agency stated in 2022 that a total of 134,797 people were displaced by floods in the state, after 18,349 houses and farmlands were submerged.  The annual plight of the residents has largely been due to the failure of the government at the federal and state levels to control the floods or mitigate their impact on the people and the environment. The federal government had allocated some flood control projects to the state that would have mitigated the impact of flooding, but the projects have failed to address the main issues despite millions spent. In Makurdi, the government, during the administration of Muhamadu Buhari, awarded contracts for the Idye Basin flood control project. at a cost of N700 million. But floods have continued whenever the rains are heavy in Makurdi.  In its 2022 budget, the Benue State Government also listed some projects it planned to execute to reduce the impact of climate change in the state, especially flooding. However, the government did not execute the projects, thus abandoning the residents to their misery. According to the budget document, such projects include Erosion and Flood Control at Hudco Quarters, budgeted at N10,000,000; Ecological Projects at N1,210,000,000, with N13,113,249 released in 2021, Engineering, Design and Construction of Drainage N18,000,000 Water Pollution Prevention and Control: Solid Waste and Dumpsite Management, N51,905,600, was budgeted in 2022, while N5,651,900 was released in 2021 for the project. During the tour of Makurdi, Tarka, and Otukpo, which are highly affected by flooding in the state, no project was seen by the reporter The 2021 budget shows that the state government paid N18,765,149 to contractors for different projects aimed at mitigating the flood disasters, while N1,289,905,600 was voted for similar projects in 2022. The Idye Basin flood control project in Makurdi appeared to have worsened rather than reduced flooding. Before the construction of the flood protection drainage, the residents said water never flooded their households. But since the project was executed, water has always found its way into their houses and farmlands. For Johnston Ejoga, 60, from Ohimini local government and a resident of Makurdi for the past ten years, the 2023 flood will always stick in his memory. He narrated how he woke up one day in July and found his room flooded by water. Johnston explained how his home appliances, which he had brought in from the United States of America, were destroyed that night.  He said the flood had destroyed the fence before entering the main compound of the house from the major road. “It was a terrible experience. I woke at night when I discovered the water had reached my waist level. I was shocked because it had never happened like that before. “I think the drainage built here is the worst anyone can imagine; when it rains, the whole road gets flooded, and when the water doesn’t see a road to pass through our houses, it becomes its refuge.” The major areas that have flooding to contend with in the state are Hudco Quarters, Wurukum, Gyado Villa, Wadata, and Innongun. In the 2021 budget, the Benue State government captured Hudco quarters but neglected other areas of the state capital which had witnessed severe flood incidents Around Gyado Villa, despite the yearly flooding, the government failed to initiate a project to control the flood. The government’s negligence extends to Wurukum, where existing drainages were blocked while other areas in the settlement do not have drainage. In Innongun Makurdi, water has always had its way into the houses of the residents, as it was mentioned that the constructed drainage was not able to accommodate the passing water that overflows to residential buildings, worship centers, and hospitals. The major failure, according to the residents, was the government’s inability to construct drainages to take the heavy volume of water that flows around the community during rainfall. A victim of the flood Grace Ogaba 60, from Ado, residing in Makurdi, said her health deteriorate after not having a place to sleep for more than two weeks when the flood took over her houhold “When the incident happened,  I moved my properties into one of the rooms and ran to safety. We stayed for more than two weeks there, and the worst that happened was not having a place to sleep or good food to eat.” Grace said the cold she caught through sleeping on the ground has resulted in her health challenge, which has forced her to resign from her job. “In my last visit to the hospital, I was told that I had gotten myself infected with pneumonia. When the incident happened, I was not able to carry any reasonable clothes when we ran to safety. Unfortunately,  when we returned, my house was broken into, with almost all my belongings taken away. For now, I am waiting to feel better so I can start from square one.” The Worst Hit in Makurdi The 2022 Benue floods led to the loss of lives. The Idye Basin flood control project was initiated to control water flow in the Benue State capital to reduce the incidence of floods and the loss of life and properties. But the failure of the project drove Mercy to the Tse Yandev IDP camp.  “I have lived here for a few years now; there is nothing at home for me to return to. I will better stay here and feed on my cloth sewing skills until help comes.”   For physically challenged Yougha Yakubu, 65, who manages to farm as a resident of Hudco Quarters in Makurdi, escaping with her five children was tough. She narrated how the flood water soaked her food storage and swept off her farm. “What I and my family survived with is the food storage we kept away from the house, and the small vegetable farm we had was washed off as well The experience I had was not one I would love to remember, but I thank the almighty that I’m alive.” She explained that escaping to a secure environment before the flood disaster was difficult, despite government initiative. “The government had asked us to move away from here, but it was not easy to leave the house to become a refugee in a camp. Even when the flood got worse and we left for safety, getting basic amenities like food and water was challenging. Lamentations in Tarka Tarka Local Government Area has benefited from projects worth N386 million from the federal government for flood and erosion control. But rather than stopping the situation, the residents have had a tough time dealing with rains in the local government headquarters, Wanune  The residents of Cach Mandela and Iorva Jime have been feeling the impact of the failed projects, with water running off the drainage and accumulating in their houses, which was not happening before the project execution. When the reporter visited Wannune, it was noticed that the drainages constructed under the Amper Flood Hazard and Erosion Control project could not hold the water. Climate change has posed a threat to education as well. Soundmind Secondary School in Tarka Local Government Area has had a difficult experience with students staying away for safety reasons when floods constantly take over their school during the rains. Collins Duger, 28, a university student from the community, explained how he has seen academic activities put out for days because of heavy flooding in the community. He explained that farmers have had their share of destruction with the concentration of water on farmlands after intensive rainfall. Collin explained that farmers have lost a reasonable amount of farm produce in the Wanune Community, while households have been affected by property losses Narrating the ordeal, Terwase John, a 65-year old commercial farmer in Wanune, had his rice plantation washed off in Tarka Local government. “When you work hard and there is nothing to show for it, it is always painful. I planted a large portion of rice, which has been my source of income for years. When the 2022 rains came, 90 per cent of the farm was washed off. He said the disaster affected his income and the education of his three children, who almost lost a term in school. Terdoo Aku, 55, a farmer in Guma, had his life turned into something he had not predicted. “My maize farm was destroyed,” he said  He explained how a better picture of the scenario could not be painted because of the time of the reporter’s visit, and he noted that the incident had given him the worst setback of his farming career, which dates back so many decades. Terdoo explained how the portion of land has been cultivated for decades, while such an issue has never been experienced before. Expert speaks The founder and executive director of Securecycle Environmental and Climate Change Initiative, Emmanuel Kilaso, has blamed government policies for the worsening climate change impact in the country. He explained that the numerous natural resources in the country have not yet been able to reflect on the growth rate. “Nigeria, a nation endowed with abundant natural resources, is facing an increasing threat from the impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, the failure of the Nigerian government to address environmental issues effectively has exacerbated the challenges, leading to a ripple effect that affects the entire nation.” “The absence of robust climate policies and effective implementation strategies has left Nigeria vulnerable to the intensifying impacts of climate change. Without comprehensive frameworks, there is insufficient guidance for sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and health to adapt and mitigate the effects,” he said   Emmanuel blamed the climate crisis currently experienced in Nigeria on other issues such as deforestation and land degradation while emphasizing that the poverty level in the country has increased the practice of such practices, which are against sustainability. “The government’s failure to address rampant deforestation and land degradation exacerbates climate-related challenges. The hardship and high cost of living will spur citizens to go back to the traditional source of energy for cooking because it is cheap and easily accessible. The loss of forests not only contributes to carbon emissions but also reduces the country’s resilience to climate impacts such as flooding, droughts, and soil erosion. This also impacts the amount of rainfall and the quality of air that we get.”   He suggested that the government can curb the current climate crisis in the country through investment in critical sectors, such as “adequate investment in infrastructure, including well-designed and maintained drainage systems, flood control measures, and resilient urban planning, is essential. A government with the right attitude would prioritize such infrastructure projects to reduce vulnerability to flooding.” Millions Affected By Flood Impact  Data from the United Nations has revealed that floods in Nigeria have continued to impact a huge number of people in the country, with the 2022 incident killing 662 people while 3,174 were injured, displacing about 2.5 million, and destroying 200,000 houses. According to the National Emergency Management Agency, the flood has affected a huge number of people in the country, with 159,157 affected while 48,168 have sought refuge in different camps. The figures were revealed by the director-general of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, in October 2023. State Government Laments Failing to Give Spending Details  In October 2023, the state government, through the Commissioner for Works and Housing, Mr. Itiza Imojime, disclosed that the state authorities had given the go-ahead for the structures obstructing the passage of water to be demolished. “The State Executive Council has approved the demolition of all illegal structures and those built on waterways in Makurdi,” he said. As of December 2023, no structure built on waterways has been demolished by the state government, despite the October threat. Despite the lamentation, a Freedom Of Information (FOI) letter sent to the Ministry of Water Resources in Benue State […]

By: Manasseh Mbachii The Nigerian climate has been irregular over the years, alternating between periods of extremely dry or rainy seasons and seasons of drought and excess flooding, which affected agricultural activities and caused a loss of shelter. Economic sectors such as agriculture, fishing, and forestry are more predisposed to the adverse effects of climate change. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) disclosed that flood disasters in 2022 left 2.4 million persons displaced and 662 lives lost. Overview of climate in Nigeria Nigeria has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons: wet and dry. These seasons have varying lengths of rainy and dry seasons, depending on the geographical location. For example, the southern part of Nigeria has a longer period of rainy season (March to November) than the northern part (May to September). The dry season is prevalent in the north, coupled with high temperatures that may reach an average monthly value of 38 degrees Celsius, while the mean temperature in southern Nigeria hovers around 32–33 degrees Celsius. In the north, the harmattan wind, which is a dry and hot wind, blows longer than it does in southern Nigeria. Causes Of Climate Change In Nigeria Although natural hazards like volcanic eruptions contribute to climate change, scientists have now discovered that certain human activities are also responsible. Environmental scientists associate climate change effects with the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere. The ozone layer prevents the heat from the sun from reaching the earth at high intensity. The ozone layer is depleted when certain gases are released into the atmosphere by humans and natural factors. These glasses are carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbon, and similar. These greenhouse gases contribute to global warming, where the heat from the sun is trapped on the earth’s surface. This gradually leads to excess heat, depending on the depletion level and quantity of the gases emitted over time. Human activities Emission of greenhouse gasses from vehicles: Some vehicles emit greenhouse gases such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide from their exhaust. Burning of hydrocarbon products: This releases carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation: This refers to cutting down trees, usually for agriculture. Trees form a protective barrier against the heat from the sun, and cutting them down affects this purpose. Industrial emissions: Industrial activities and equipment produce greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere instead. Climate Change Effects and Nigeria Low crop yield: In Nigeria, crop production depends on location and climatic conditions. Crops that need rainfall to grow are abundant in the south, while those that don’t need rainfall grow more in the north. Excess rain and drought associated with climate change affect the natural distribution of crops in Nigeria and reduce their production in large quantities to meet the population’s demand. For instance, climate change may cause stunted growth of crops grown in Northern Nigeria because these crops don’t thrive in soils flooded with water from excess rain. Likewise, some crops cultivated in southern Nigeria may wither during prolonged drought periods because these crops need rainfall to grow. Food shortage: Food scarcity is a consequence of low crop yield, which is characterised by inferior quality and quantity of food crops because of harsh climate conditions. Therefore, food crops are poorly distributed to other geopolitical zones where they don’t grow. For instance, tomatoes are produced in large quantities in the north, and if this declines due to unfavourable climatic conditions, other locations in Nigeria will experience reduced supply. Reduced livestock production: Livestock animals like goats and cows feed on grass to grow. and their products, such as beef or milk, are affected when these animals don’t feed well. Irregular climatic conditions destroy the farmlands these animals graze on. Also, flooding promotes the growth of pests that attack these farm animals and further depreciates their overall commercial value. Loss of income: Agriculture is one of the major contributors to the Nigerian economy and a source of income for some Nigerians. These individuals are either rural dwellers who are full-time farmers or urban dwellers who are part-time farmers. Climate change destroys farmlands and hinders income generation from agriculture and livestock farming at national and personal levels. Public health crisis: Climate change increases the burden of diseases in Nigeria, especially malaria. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant waters, and they spread to cause malaria. Life-threatening malaria complications are common among all individuals, young and old. This can put a strain on areas such as public health and nursing. Also, wildfires and dust storms occur during drought, and these environmental hazards cause respiratory illnesses in some individuals. Climate change increases the number of diseases and causes preventable deaths among Nigerians if left unchecked. Decreased hydroelectric power supply: Nigeria generates a significant amount of power from its hydroelectric dam, Kainji Dam. Climate change causes unpredictable rainfall and drought patterns that reduce the water level in Kainji Dam and other smaller ones.

Olasupo recently spoke on the crucial topic “Building a Resilient Plant Health System in a Changing Climate.” in Twitter spaces named #ClimateWednesday, a weekly youth voice on climate justice that seeks to build to build a climate-smart generation around Africa organized by the International Climate Change Development Africa. 

It was a cloudy afternoon on the 8th of October 2021 in Makurdi, Benue state, when Mbaiorga Winifred had just stepped out of her makeshift home.  The previous night’s heavy rain had dismantled her makeshift home, a series of mosquito nets combined in a “cave-like form” to provide shelter for her and her five children.  “I was busy fixing my “Ihia-wam”- all through the day after being drenched the previous night. The weather was not my challenge.” Mbaiorga said.  “Ihia-wam” means “my house” in the Tiv language. She continued, “But I became terrified when I saw the cloud forming again. I knew my family, and I would be drenched again later that night.” Since the incident, life has never been easy for Mbaiorga and her family.  A few years ago, she could do menial jobs at the camp to fend for his children, but her strength has failed her.  “Since October, I have been feeling a very sharp headache coupled with general weakness of the body. Worse still, I began emaciating, and my body worsens daily.” Mbaiorga could not access any hospital even when some mobile health workers privately told her that she could have type II diabetes. The Back Story The 54-year-old mother of five was busy running to provide for his family when life took a turn in 2018 in the Tukura area of Guma local government, Benue state.  Narrating, Mbaiorga said, “It was reported a clash in the media, but it was never a clash; it was unprovoked, unplanned, and never envisioned.”  “Everything happened so fast in a particular twilight when we started hearing gunshots.” “We thought it was just local hunters preparing their guns for hunting, but it kept increasing and approaching. Moreover, the sound was unfamiliar. Unlike the local guns, it sounded so real and sharp.” “We later discovered they were Fulani herders who had come to take over our land.” “That was how we started running, and there was no time to pick anything. How I managed to escape with my children, only God knows.” “That night, over seventy persons were killed. That was the first time I witnessed mass burial and for my siblings.” Different Ailments  Like Mbaiorga, several others were displaced across many communities like Tukura, Mbagen, Yelewata, etc, in Guma, Logo and Makurdi local governments of Benue State.  Msughshima Mary, 47, a native of yelewata community, also was displaced from Guma LG.  For months, she has felt pain in her abdomen, loss of appetite, and fatigue then her urine has turned dark.  She complained to Mr. Gabriel Yev, The camp chairman, but the Chairman is as handicapped as the rest of the inmates. Even though he suspected it could be hepatitis because he had once witnessed symptoms like this that was later tested to be hepatitis.  Udei, Regina, 40, is from Mbalagh, in Makurdi Local government of Benue state. She came to the camp in 2020 with four children.  According to her, since October, all her children have manifested several symptoms which she feels are related to diarrhea.  “At the moment, Isaac Udei, Mr eldest son, is feeling pain in his abdomen, and he’s vomiting, including bloating, nausea, fever, blood, and mucus in his stool.”   “We can only boil herbs. But it does not feel like the situation is being given the needed attention.” Udei, helplessly narrated.  Like every other IDP in Nigeria, Tse Yandev IDPs are plagued with poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding, poor living conditions, and inadequate health care. Therefore, the International Organization for Migration also believes they are susceptible to infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, and acute respiratory disorders and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders in many IDPs in Nigeria.  Unfortunately, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria keeps increasing.  The increasing number of IDPs was primarily due to conflict and violence such as communal crisis, militancy, banditry, farmer-herder clashes, and Boko Haram terrorism.  Internally displaced persons were forced to leave their homes but still remain on their country’s border. Nigeria reportedly has the third-highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa.  In 2020, the country accounted for over 2.7 million internally displaced people.  On the 19th of October, 2022, the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) reported that 254 people were displaced in Benue due to crime-related violence.  The Atlas Mobility Tracking also states that, in October 2022, DTM identified a 12.2 percent increase in IDPs compared to March 2022.  “Illegal Camp”  Among the twenty-seven (27) “recognized” IDPs camps with a population of over 2 million displaced persons across these camps in Benue state, the Tse yandev IDPs camp where Mbaiorga and over nine hundred (900) displaced persons stay is being captured as an “unofficial camp” by Emmanuel Shior, the Chairman, State Emergency Management Agency.  In an interview with this reporter, Shior disclosed that Tse yandev is an “illegal camp” because the government does not approve it.  “We asked them to move somewhere to Uikpan. That is where we know we can recognize and treat them like displaced persons. Otherwise, they are just community opportunists who want to ruin our state’s reputation by posing as IDPs.” In his defense, the Chairman of the camp, Mr. Gabriel Yev claimed that the government was pushing them back to the bush where they ran away from.  “Even the Uikpan camp is not safe. We are still hearing the cases of killings there. He said.   He continued, “The government wants us out of sight because they feel we are embarrassing the state by staying in a conspicuous place.” For somebody like Mbaiorga and others whose livelihood depends on asking for alms after being displaced for over four years, they could not have asked for anything more than a health care center.  “The Africa Data Hub Community Journalism Fellowship supported this report.”

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Mike Ede, 56, from Opiruku, Oju Local Government Area of Benue State, North-central Nigeria, couldn’t believe that her ever fertile land that was a source of healthy products could reduce in nutrients as he stood looking at the piece of land.  “Only but a glorified farmland,” Ede’s thought betrayed him aloud as he tried hard to swallow the pain. Mr Ede wouldn’t have worried enough if only the trend is just on a piece of land, but across many farmlands in “Orihi” and “Iyato”- the two most fertile areas where foods are grown in the local government, at least that is accessible for him. “There were times all these places were full of trees and covered grasses, you could barely go through them because of the thickness of the grasses,” Mr. Ede explained. He continued, “At that time, a piece of land in this area can give you a double output increase especially if it’s cassava or yam, you could feel the nutrients.” As we speak, it is as dry as anything and the scorching sun around this place wouldn’t even allow you till the land.”  Mr. Ede is an established farmer in the Opiruku community whose annual income used to be above N200,000 and just from farming yam. Rice and other farm products are often done mainly for consumption.  He would charter a cab from Otukpo, a nearby town of about 25 kilometre just to transport yam produce as far as port-Harcourt, River State capital, for sale.  But the trend has changed, Mr. Ede is witnessing a drastic shift as a farmer, going through massive regression and he can no longer boast of such a harvest.  “In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, yes, there was a lockdown but it didn’t stop me from farming, I made over N200,000 by just supplying yam from my farm. But that is history now, I have resolved to subsistence farming and it’s demeaning to know, people are creating wealth at the detriment of others,” he further lamented. “Life was cool, food security was assured. But all that has changed now. It is very difficult to have a matching return of interest. Not only because of the illegal logging but all the penetration of these heavy-duty vehicles to our lands.” Mr. Ede probably wished that the ugly situation would stop in his community of Opiriku. What he’s not aware of is that other communities like Ipav, in Gboko Local Government, Mballa and Gwer Local Government Areas also suffered deforestation and illegal logging. Statistics Mr. Ede is one of the 1.6 billion people worldwide that depend solely on the forest for food, shelter, medicine, and income as reported by the 2021 Global Forest Goals report. Deforestation is consistently a threat to biodiversity in Nigeria and a report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), says that between 2000 and 2005, Nigeria had the highest level of deforestation in the world. 55.7 per cent of the country’s primary forests were lost. Again in 2021, Global Forest Watch reported that Nigeria had lost 96.5kha of natural forest, equivalent to 65.3Mt of CO₂ emissions. According to the Conservation Foundation (NCF), Nigeria had lost 96% of its original forests, no thanks to deforestation. Although drought and deforestation have happened as natural occurrences caused by climate change, human activities have aggravated the disasters in some parts of Nigeria.  Sad stories Isaac Obigwa, 54, of the Igwe community in Konshisha Local Government Area could not resist the urge to cry after a heavy downpour swept his yam farm. The year has been tough for him and his family. His hope for his family of seven including one wife and six children is the budding yam farm. It wasn’t long before the hope was dashed.  Isaac had gone weeding around his farm the previous day.  He said: “I had appreciated God about the farm already. It was going to be harvested within the next two months. But after a heavy downpour. The tragedy happened.” Isaac could only trace the flood to the number of trees that were removed in the farm area in the last years. “Cutting down trees gave way to erosion and that was what happened,” he said, adding that: “It was never like this, I have been farming here for the past three years and it was never flooded. It is not even close to the river. I discovered that there was enough space for water to accumulate. Trees around were cut down and there was nothing to disturb the flow.” Unlike Isaac whose farmland got washed away, Onah Ogiji, 54 years, another farmer in the Ojumole community in Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State, lamented the inability of his farmland to yield crops. According to him, soil erosion has caused hunger as the soil is now unfit for crops because of the direct exposure to the sun. “A few years back, we could confidently boast that farm products are good for our land. It is no longer the same. Nothing yields again in our farmland,” Mr Ogiji said.  Borgen Projects explained that “one out of six people rely directly on forests for food, deforestation can lead to overworked soil, which in turn leads to soil erosion. Farmers and surrounding settlements become at risk for famine if the soil becomes unfit for crops”.  Poverty as a factor  Ega-Ibilla, a community in Oju Local Government Area, like other communities of Obugbehe, Ito, in Obi LGA, have its residents helplessly lamenting the unethical activities of illegal loggers.  James Ulegede, 49, in Ega Ibilla, has had a fight with unknown people who have gone to his farmland to cut trees.  Mr Ulegede said: “I had just come back from a meeting when my wife told me she heard a sound and like one of the trees in my farm was falling. It was true, luckily, I met who did.  “He later offered money for it.  I collected it because I couldn’t force my tree to stand back, But how long can we continue with that? “They go about offering little money. At the moment, an average tree is just about 500 to N1,000 depending on the size.  “This is how they have made it legal and destroyed our farmlands.” “They go with heavy-duty motors, some known as “Agbigi” are in the forest packing wood to the sawmill on the road.” Suspected loggers react When contacted, Mr. Aruke Simeon, a self-acclaimed leader of the ‘Ichakobe Depot’ an illegal sawmill factory in Ichakobe, in Oju Local Government area, argued that forests are natural gifts and that no one should be threatening another person over it.  “Climate change or whatever change you called it does not concern me. The country is already hard. Nobody should scare another person away from the natural gift from God. He continued, “Even the owners of these forests and woods, we pay them. When they dont even feed these woods, we pay them for it before we go with our operations and everyone goes home happy,” Mr. Aruke said. At this point, he threatened the reporter to get away from the factory.  Failed Policy To cushion the looming effect of deforestation, Nigeria took a step to introduce various policies like the National Forest Policies of 1988, 2006, and 2020. The plan was to “achieve sustainable forest management that would ensure sustainable increases in the economic, social and environmental benefits from forests and trees for the present and future generation including the poor and the vulnerable group” as written in the objectives of these projects.  These policies have not been able to deliver on their objectives. For instance, In the targets goals submitted to Global Forest Goals, Nigeria outlines possible actions and targets toward a sustainable forest.  The first goal, “Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation, and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation and contribute to the global effort of addressing climate change.”   Among other descriptions of actions, it planned to establish a Green Cover of 708.46 Km shelterbelt, 382.7ha community woodlots, 369ha community orchard, and 138ha vegetable garden are established across the country’s drylands. Also, goal two states that: “Enhance forest-based economic, social, and environmental benefits, including by improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent people”  The country had claimed it has engaged 498 youths as forest guards but there is no data to back this up. However, the bill to empower the guards it claimed to have engaged has only passed the third reading in April 2022. “Government aware of the menace”  Contrary to the document, the Director of the Forestry Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Rasak Adekola, in a phone call with this reporter, said the the government did not have plans of recruiting ‘forest guards’ but “forest rangers”.  “Only the state government may have plans of recruiting forest guards. Currently, at the federal level, we are walking on unleashing a joint task force that would be responsible for maintaining sustainable forest management in the country,” Mr. Adekola said.  When asked if the government was aware of the illegal logging across Nigerian forests, the director’s answer was in the affirmative.  “We are aware of this illegal and indiscriminate wood logging and deforestation in some parts of the country like Benue. We are also aware that part of it is the way of recovering from COVID-19. However, there are various mitigative plans by the federal government like that of a joint task force which would begin operation in no time,” he said. According to Earth.org, The Federal Ministry of Environment has said that the weak institutional ability to effectively execute sustainable forest management policies and practices contributes to Nigeria’s forest resources decline.  The New Humanitarian also reported the government’s dire challenge to address the underlying factors facilitating deforestation in Nigeria, such as weak regulations and an absence of policy support. The new route 2030 is barely eight years ahead and Nigeria, alongside 104 others, has said it will end deforestation.  Towards achieving the target, in 2021, Nigeria launched the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). According to Mr. Moses Ama, the National Coordinator of the programme,  “REDD+” is called readiness where the country puts a pillar to act, recalling that Nigeria has a history of deforestation programme that eventually becomes “REDD+”. He added that only seven states in Nigeria had agreed to be part of the REDD+ programme so far. This report was completed as part of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development‘s 2022 Climate Change Media Fellowship in West Africa with funding support from the Centre for Investigative Journalism’s Open Climate Reporting Initiative (OCRI).

Climate change awareness campaigns by NGOs need to target large corporations as well as rural communities. By; BAYRON VAN WYK (Minority Africa) — I used to work at an NGO focused on climate change and environmental awareness. I was expected to develop educational and agricultural programmes targeting mostly rural farmers in the Kavango East and West regions to sensitise them to climate change issues. In these regions, subsistence agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for 16% and 31% of the population. the NGO’s programme encouraged local farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. In these regions, there has been contention over oil exploration and discovery. In mid-2021, Canadian-based firm ReconAfrica announced that they had discovered oil in the Kavango East and West regions. Since then, ReconAfrica has started operations for oil production. However, several environmental groups, such as Frack Free Namibia (FFN), have expressed concern over the impact of such activities on the region’s sensitive plant and animal life. Through my work in the Kavango East and West regions, I started to think more deeply about climate change and environmental awareness programmes run by NGOs. I started questioning whom these organisations chose to target. Why are they targeting primarily rural (and poor) communities when it is clear that large corporations are causing the most harm? I approached a few of my team leaders and shared my thoughts. I wanted us to become more involved in addressing concerns in the Kavango East and West regions over oil production. I thought we could be effective by pursuing an environmental campaign with ReconAfrica. The campaign could potentially assist in mitigating the impact of oil production on the environment. My idea was to sensitise some of the staff of ReconAfrica through a workshop on climate change and environmental awareness issues. My team leaders, however, turned down my proposal because they thought it was bizarre to target ReconAfrica for our environmental campaigns. The work we did was to only sensitise rural and poor communities to climate change. However, the reality is that environmental programmes depend on large corporations for financing.  These companies often only fund programmes that target rural communities. Therefore, my team leaders did not accept my proposal. This perpetuates a perception that rural communities are uneducated or unaware of environmental issues. These communities were mostly framed in this way to secure funding from international organisations. This means that the NGO would propose educating rural communities on their environmental impact to encourage them to adopt more environmentally friendly ways of living. This perception perpetuates the belief that rural communities threaten the environment. The dependency of rural communities on wood for fuel and timber is often cited as the underlying cause of this belief. For example, about 75% and 91% of the population rely on wood for energy in the Kavango East and West regions. This is one of the reasons why NGOs primarily target rural communities for climate change and environmental campaigns. The targeting of rural communities is largely unnecessary. These communities have their traditional knowledge about how to deal with the issues of climate change. For example, in November 2021, when I attended a workshop on climate change at the Mashare Agricultural College, the Senior Traditional Councillor for Administration, Alois Gende of the Shambyu Traditional Authority, also stressed this point. In this workshop, we presented a newly developed programme for rural farmers on climate change mitigation primarily focused on encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable agriculture practices. Gende criticised the programme for not including the traditional knowledge of the Shambyu tribe in creating more awareness around climate change and environmental issues. For him, it was like the NGO was imposing specific ideas of climate change that were far removed from the situation of the Shambyu – especially as it relates to their present socio-economic struggles. For example, the Shambyu know when a rainy season or drought would approach them. They rely on observations of their environmental surroundings to predict the weather. Therefore, it does not make sense for the programme to use expensive technology for early warning systems. Instead, it was suggested that people from Shambyu be employed to fulfil such a role. This should be seen in the context of broader socio-economic challenges facing the Shambyu, especially its younger population. There currently are high levels of unemployment in the Kavango East and West regions. About 62.5% and 46.8% of the population are unemployed. Even though subsistence farming exists, most of it is inadequate, leading to food shortages. In the Kavango East and West regions, roughly 92.1% and 89.2% of the population face food shortages. Therefore, it did not make sense for the Shambyu to use technological tools while the local population could be employed and provide such services to the programme. That traditional knowledge systems are generally not included in programmes by NGOs shows that the concerns of rural communities are rarely taken seriously.  This relates to views that regard rural communities as a problem to climate change and the environment rather than as equal partners in contributing to efforts at addressing climate change. It serves to frame rural communities as destructive to the environment, which is based on their present socio-economic challenges. Moreover, it downplays the role played by large corporations in furthering environmental destruction. There have been several cases of companies contributing towards environmental destruction. In 2014 Bosveld Phosphate’s industrial activities in the Kruger National resulted in the pollution of the Selati River. This leads to ill-conceived development programmes by NGOs that do not speak to the aspirations of local communities, resulting in limited socio-economic changes envisioned by these programmes. Therefore, NGOs should include traditional knowledge systems in their programs to ensure more effective results. In addition, large corporations should engage in more introspection and become aware of their role in environmental destruction. Therefore, their financing programmes should be more encompassing and include climate change and environmental awareness in corporations (and not only rural communities). This can assist in strengthening programmes on climate change and environmental awareness. Edited by Cassandra Roxburgh and Uzoma Ihejirika  This story was first published in Minority Africa and appears with permission in this publication. 

After days of consistent rainfall some areas in the capital of Benue state have been flooded with goods worth millions lost. Some of the area flooded are Gyado Villa, Wurukum Market and Achusa all in the capital of the state. Some individuals who were affected lamented that the flood in Makurdi has become a yearly scenario with goods worth millions lost every year. Also Read: ReviveOurLibrary: Benue Citizens lament Moribund State Library. Mr Emeka who deals with Clothing at the Wurukum Market recounting his losses stated that “in the past three years I have lost goods worth 2 Million Naira due to the incident that occurs every year, the government should stand up to stop this yearly occurrence” Onah, a student of Benue State University Makurdi who could not hold back his tears while sharing his experience criticized the government for failing to provide ‘critical infrastructures’ in the state “the government has failed to provide critical infrastructure at every level, the school is on strike we are still losing our properties due to flooding if the government provides drainage system the yearly occurrence and losses could be averted” “the government should also provide enough hostel facilities for students like me on campus which will help (us) students cope with unnecessary loss of properties” Also Read: Strike: FG Drags ASUU to Industrial Court. A popular humanitarian in the state Ukan Kurugh also expressed that the “political will” of the government to solve the problem of flooding is low in the state. He also claimed that houses have been built on waterways by politicians in the state. In 2017 the government through professor Osibanjo pledged to dredge River Benue and create more drainages in the capital to address the situation

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Jairus Awo

Jairus Awo is a Nigeiran Muiltimedia public interest journalist. He believes in the power of the media as a catalyst to development and societal growth. You can tip him an idea on [email protected]

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