How Young Farmers Are Losing Multimillion Naira Investment To Nigeria’s Worst Flooding In A Decade

The rising cost of animal feed was the deciding factor for 30-year-old Ogunniyi Ayobami to expand his business from livestock farming to crop production. He had no doubt that he would be successful; after all, he had left a paint production business to start rearing pigs in 2019. Despite advice from friends to stick to his paint business, he dumped it for farming, not only as a business but also as a passion. It was something he loved and had mentally prepared for a long time. It was also something he would look back at three years later and ask himself if he made the right decision as he plodded through the ruins of his flood-soaked land where weeds grew luxuriously instead of soybeans and maize.

It all began in 2019 in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state when Ayobami leased a five-acre piece of farmland from his friend to start a pig farming business. 

He paid the lease and bought about 500 piglets with funds from his paint business. His focus was on rearing the pigs for meat production. Achieving this means providing high-quality food for the pigs for seven to nine months. A bag was sold for around N300 and so he had no problem providing food for the pigs.

2019 turned out to be a good year for Ayobami. With the profit he made from the sale of the pigs, he purchased 20 acres of land in Okolon village which is located along the Ilorin-Jebba expressway. A community that is known for farming, Ayobami’s closest neighbours were also farmers.

“I wanted to expand on my business. I was happy that I took the risk of starting farming as a way to be self-sufficient.”

Ayobami designated one section of the land for rearing his pigs. For a long time, he was undecided on what he wanted to do with the rest of the land that lay unused. It wasn’t until 2021 that the high cost of animal feed helped him decide on his next move.

With rising inflation in the country, the price of commodities has continued to go up. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, “urban inflation rate stood at 20.95%, which is 3.36% higher compared to the 17.59 % recorded in August 2021. The rural inflation rate in August 2022 was 20.12% on a year-on-year basis, 3.69% higher compared to the 16.43% recorded in August 2021.”

When the price of animal feed began to rise, Ayobami knew he had to devise a way out. Reducing the quality or quantity of the food for the pigs was out of the question. He had to either continue to buy the high cost which had then risen to N700 or find an alternative food supply.

“I decided to invest the profit I made in 2020 in planting soybeans and maize on the available area of land as food for my pigs. My plan was that at the end of my harvest, I would have food to store to last my pigs through 2023 and even have some left to sell.”

In early June, Ayobami hired a tractor to cultivate the land, a necessity that cost almost a million naira because access to the land was difficult, leaving most farmers at the mercy of tractor owners.

Ayobami said: “It is difficult to bargain with tractor owners especially when only a few of them are willing to work in remote farms. That means you have to pay whatever they ask for. As it was essential for me to plant the food for my pigs, I was hoping it would significantly reduce my lean expenses on processed food.”

According to Ayobami, he spent more than N3 million on renting a tractor to clear the land, buying seeds and paying workers to plant the maize and soybeans. 

He said: “Many people who had farmlands around the village told me I was lucky because of the rich soil. They guaranteed that I was going to get a bountiful harvest. I was also happy that without taking a loan, I was able to make use of my profit over the years and my savings to invest in my business for the future. I was confident that 2023 would be a good year.”

Then the rains came.

At first, it was the right amount of water just needed for the soybeans and maize to grow and Ayobami was glad. He was already looking forward to September when the first harvest would be carried out. 

But the rains did not stop. By early September it rained consistently. The rains were not really heavy; only that they fell for long hours with only intermittent periods of pause in between. Some nights it would rain nonstop; it was difficult to ascertain whether there were any breaks at all. By the time Ayobami walked the length and breadth of the farm in late September, he knew his million naira investment was gone and what he saw left him devasted.

A large section of the farmland had been converted into a pond due to the rain. The rows in between the crops had become a stream and the topsoil had washed away. The narrow roots of the maize and soybeans could not withstand the erosion and they lay dead in the pond. In their place were weeds with strong roots that grew luxuriantly. Ayobami was left in tears.

He said: “I had been confident that I was on track to solve the looming food problem for my pigs by investing N3 million in their food. Seeing everything submerged in water killed something inside me.”

Other farmlands around Ayobami were not spared. From where he stood knee-deep in soil and water, he watched other farmers come around to see their farms in ruins. It was like a burial on water. They were all too sad to console one another.

He added: “My situation looked better because even though water had killed my crops, I still have my pigs – which is my main interest in farming – to still be grateful for. My plan now is to take a loan to buy the expensive animal feed that I thought I would not have to. For other farmers who rely only on crop production, I don’t know how they will cope.”

Water, water everywhere and more to come

Like Ayobami, many farmers in Nigeria are currently going through some of the worst floodings in decades. As predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (Nimet) at the beginning of the year, rainfall in Nigeria in 2022 would be higher than usual. According to a statement from the agency, above-normal rainfall conditions were expected over the Northern states such as Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, much of Kebbi and Gombe, as well as northern Kaduna and Adamawa states.

“Normal to above normal rainfall conditions are expected over most parts of the South-Western states including Lagos, Ogun, Osun, much of Oyo, Ondo, parts of Ekiti, and Edo.”

Most of these states are largely agrarian and farmers are the worst hit as millions of naira worth of crop investment have been destroyed by the flood. The situation is worse in Benue, a state with the motto, Food Basket of the Nation, known for farming. Even for those who work in corporate establishments in the state, managing a farm is considered a must-have job. In a state where running a farm is more of a lifestyle, the heavy rain has destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmlands. Olam rice farm in Rukubi Doma Local Government Area of Nassarawa State, which is seated on 13,500 hectares of land was submerged and ravaged by the recent flood.

But the worst has not happened yet based on Nimet’s prediction. According to the Director-General of NiMET, Prof. Mansur Matazu, more rainfall that will lead to flooding is expected in the country.

Apart from the rain, the annual release of water from the Lagdo Hydro Power Dam in Cameroon contributes greatly to flooding. According to the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), water from the Lagdo Dam will worsen the situation as Nigeria’s inland reservoirs, especially Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro will overflow.

Displacement and worrying food security

So far, about 29 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been affected by heavy flooding. According to NEMA, about 500,000 persons have been displaced in Nigeria, especially in parts of Adamawa, Benue and Nasarawa and more than 300 persons have died. On social media, Nigerians are sharing photos and videos of their home being submerged in water. In Kogi, the confluence state where the rivers Niger and Benue meet, the capital, Lokoja, has experienced serious flooding that has turned roads into rivers forcing many to flee in canoes. 

In the eastern region of the country, the heavy rainfall has led to serious erosion, particularly in Anambra and Imo states. Residents are helpless as water floods into their homes. Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra announced the closure of schools in areas of the state prone to flooding.

In 2018, the Muhammadu Buhari administration encouraged Nigerian youths to embrace farming as a viable way to address youth unemployment. Many young Nigerians heeded this call as a way to be self-sufficient in the face of rising unemployment and underemployment. Insecurity caused by Boko Haram and bandit attacks as well as kidnapping have been major challenges to farming and there have been predictions that this will escalate food insecurity in the country in 2023. The heavy rainfall and flooding coming into the mix may make the situation dire especially for a country trying to reduce food importation as a way to combat rising foreign exchange.

Climate change and 2023 elections

Nigeria’s current heavy flooding has been on the rise since 2012 and according to the UN has been caused by climate change which has led to an increase in rainfall. Coupled with rivers bursting their banks and lack of good drainage networks, communities have been submerged in water.

Sadly, this issue has not dominated political discourse ahead of the 2023 general elections. While leading presidential candidates have focused on popular issues like security, economy and employment, little attention has been given to the problem of climate change and how it is significantly tied to the three aforementioned issues.

Nigeria’s overdependence on oil as a major form of export has seen the economy constantly fluctuating due to the lack of stability in the price of oil and there have been calls for diversification of the economy. One way this can be achieved is through agriculture as an alternative form of export. Before Nigeria can be a major agricultural export player, it first has to be food sufficient. The current flooding problem however is threatening Nigeria’s food security and for young Nigerians who have invested in agriculture as a means of self-employment, it is worrisome as it can send them back to the unemployment gap. Also, experts warn that this can have a ripple effect on the country’s fragile security.

Alongside the government, the citizens too have a role to play according to Olumide, a climate change activist. In a chat with Neusroom, he noted that while the opening of the dam in Cameroon is a major cause of the flooding, lack of planning on Nigeria’s end has allowed the situation to catch the country by surprise.

He said: “So the situation of this flood has given us urgent attention to see that we don’t need to only blame Cameroon, we need to blame ourselves because, what happens to our planning, what happens to our structure, what happens to the land, or let me say to the community that this thing is affecting. Did we prepare for such? Exactly 10 years ago, in 2012, the same flooding happened. What has changed from 2012 to 2022?”

With Nigeria transitioning into a new presidential dispensation in 2023, it is pertinent the issue of climate change take centre stage as the three aforementioned issues – economy, security and employment – can be derailed if the problem of climate change is not addressed.