Flooding costs Nigeria N3tr with 6 states bearing the greatest impact
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Flooding that ravaged Nigeria in 2022 caused direct economic damage worth between $3.79 billion and $9.12 billion with the best (median) estimated at $6.68 billion (N3 trillion).
Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Farouk disclosed at the public presentation of the GRADE in Abuja the damage included residential and non-residential buildings as well as infrastructure, productive sectors, and cropland.
She said the estimated median damages were generally lower than the 2012 assessment (PDNA) but some localised areas experienced greater impacts than in 2012, and past seasons such as 2018, according to Daily Trust.
__________________________________________________________________
Related articles:
UNICEF donates N230.7m relief materials to Jigawa flood victims
IMF warns of flood worsening food insecurity, stoking food prices
__________________________________________________________________
4.9m people affected across all states
Farouk added the number of people affected rose from 4.4 million in June 2022 to 4.9 million in November, about 2 per cent of the population.
“In terms of destroyed and damaged buildings, there is significant damage in many states, with counting still ongoing.
“There is significant damage to infrastructure including roads, irrigation and river infrastructure as well as WASH and electricity infrastructure with around $1.23 billion ($0.959-$1.724 billion) in damage expected,” she said.
Damage to agricultural crops, associated water infrastructure, fisheries and livestock was also severe, Farouk stressed, listing the worst affected states as Jigawa, Rivers, Taraba, Cross River, Bayelsa, and Delta.
She said more than 650,000 hectares of crops were damaged but with modeling it could be more than 1,000,000 hectares.
“The median estimate of these damages is around $1.837 billion with a significant range ($526 million – $2.473 billion) given changing yields, damage ratios, replanting possibilities, and uncertainties in market values of crops, livestock, and fisheries.”
Nasir Gwarzo, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, reiterated how heavy rainfall since June 2022 has led to serious flooding, with people affected and houses damaged/destroyed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).