Nigerian farmer Enoch Fater has been anxiously watching water levels creep up around his rice paddy and the nearby river, signaling a potential flood in Benue state, a key agricultural hub in the country’s central region.
Benue was one of the hardest-hit areas two years ago when heavy rains and water released from Cameroon’s Lagdo dam caused the Benue River to overflow, leading to the worst floods in a decade.
This week, Cameroon began releasing water from the dam again following torrential rains across West and Central Africa, displacing millions and threatening to deepen the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Fater, who had hoped to earn about 800,000 naira ($495.60) from his 1-hectare rice farm, now fears total loss. “My farm is almost underwater again,” he said while wading through knee-deep water in his field.
Benue state is critical to Nigeria’s food supply, producing staples such as rice, cassava, and yams. Floods in the area would devastate farms and further drive up food prices in a country already grappling with soaring inflation and a cost of living crisis.
Small trader Aondonese Nyor, 24, is preparing for the worst. “I’m packing my things, but I have nowhere to go if the floods come,” she said, recalling how she had to live with relatives during the 2022 floods.
Fater, who lives with five siblings, remains cautiously hopeful but admits he may have to leave if things worsen. “I’ll stay until the floodwaters rise too high,” he said, hoping authorities will provide shelter for those displaced.
