Over 1,000 tomato farmers in Maiduguri, Borno State, have experienced devastating losses due to severe flooding that submerged their farms, resulting in damages exceeding N1 billion. The flood was caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam following heavy rainfall, which inundated the North-Eastern city, displacing thousands of residents and affecting major roads, homes, and markets. The resulting food shortages have led to skyrocketing prices and have hampered local businesses.
Local food vendors have expressed their inability to operate due to exhausted supplies. “I can’t operate my restaurant despite pressure from customers because the foodstuff I stocked has been exhausted,” lamented Hajara Mohammed, a local vendor. The flooding has also impacted healthcare, submerging the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Maiduguri Specialist Hospital, raising concerns about potential public health crises, including cholera and typhoid outbreaks.
Governor Babagana Zulum has been visiting emergency camps, distributing cash assistance to displaced individuals awaiting food supplies. The Chairman of the Tomato Growers Association of Nigeria’s Borno State chapter, Muhammad Nur, emphasized the severe losses faced by farmers, who urgently need government support to recover their livelihoods. He reported that over 1,000 farmers across several local government areas were affected, each cultivating at least one hectare of tomatoes valued at N850,000 per hectare.
Sani Danladi, National Secretary of the National Tomato Growers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria, urged the federal and state governments to provide aid to all farmers impacted by the flood, estimating losses in billions of naira.
Governor Zulum noted that over one million people have been affected by the flood, which submerged approximately one-fourth of Maiduguri. He disclosed that the state had received a N3 billion flood intervention fund from the Federal Government to aid in relief efforts. The governor attributed the flooding to heavy rainfall, climate change, and the release of water from Cameroonian dams, and assured that the Alau Dam would be reconstructed and upgraded.