A devastating flood hit the Shonga community in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State last Saturday, killing one person and submerging 3,000 hectares of rice farmland. The disaster has affected around 5,000 farmers, many of whom had taken loans to invest in their farms.
The Kwara Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), a government agency, visited the area for an on the spot assessment and confirmed the extent of the damage. In a statement on Thursday, the agency’s Communication Officer, Taiwo Okanlawon, described the flood as unusual and a major setback for the community.
The Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahya, expressed shock over the incident when a state government delegation visited last Sunday. He questioned the source of the flood, noting that there had been no rainfall in the region, including areas as far as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. He urged the government to investigate its cause, warning that a recurrence could threaten food security.
The Emir revealed that inquiries at Kainji Dam ruled out its involvement, while Jebba Dam admitted they were planning to close their gates soon. “We spent years attracting people to this place. We hope this does not happen again next year,” he said.
During its visit between Monday and Wednesday, the Kwara ACReSAL team confirmed that the flood had claimed a life due to shock and displaced several households. Representing the Emir, the Nakodi of Shonga, Alhaji Sulaiman Baiwa Yahya, commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his swift response and thanked the ACReSAL team for assessing the impact of the disaster.