Borno flood: Several LGAs yet to reconnect city centre, as rice farmers still in distress

Nearly two million people across Borno State are grappling with the effects of the unprecedented flooding. This year’s flooding has been one of the most severe and destructive in decades, and farmers and businesses are bearing the brunt of the disaster. Several local government areas that were affected are yet to reconnect with the state capital or major cities.

Farmers in the rice producing communities have also continued their lamentation as the flood has yet to recede.

On September 10, flash floods devastated Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, Nigeria, following the collapse of the Alau Dam.

Thousands of people were displaced, entire neighborhoods submerged, and critical infrastructure destroyed. Nearly three weeks after, although the floodwaters are receding, the road network access to some local government remains difficult, and are still no-go areas as water washed away the highway, making it impassable for motorists.

The magnitude of the catastrophe caused by the flood in Borno State this year is unimaginable and unquantifiable.

Aside public health crisis, the three major highway that link Maiduguri, the epicenter of the flood crisis have been cut off; the roads include Madagali-Gwoza and Yola; Damboa-Maiduguri which connects eight councils of the southern part via Gombe and Taraba States, as well as Dikwa-Mafa, an international trade routes which links Borno with Cameroon and Chad Republics are impassable.

Locals and experts expressed frustration that businesses have come to a standstill as floodwater disrupts movement between Nigeria and its neighboring countries, leaving commuters and traders stranded.

Read also: Borno floods: Beyond relief

International trade gateway impassable

“Almost two weeks after the devastating flood hit Maiduguri and its environs, a flash flood has washed away sections of the Ajiri-Dikwa and Dikwa-Maiduguri roads, disrupting movement between Nigeria and the neighboring countries of Chad and Cameroon,” said Abubakar Mohammed Kareto, Public Affairs Analyst.

“The affected area, known as Bakassi, is along the Maiduguri-Dikwa Road, about 5km from Dikwa Town in the Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. It is an international trade gateway with federal roads linking Nigeria with Cameroon and Chad.

“Even alternative routes are blocked. And fares have increased. It’s extremely difficult to trade with our neighboring countries. We are appealing to the Nigerian government to urgently repair the roads to allow for the sustainable flow of economic and business activities in the Lake Chad region

“Significant sections of the roads are impassable, affecting travel to and from communities in Mafa, Dikwa, Ngala, Marte, Kala-Balge, and Maiduguri, as well as Chad and Cameroon,” Kareto said.

Abu Mai, a commercial driver who regularly uses the Maiduguri-Dikwa highway, said that travelling on the road was “extremely difficult,” adding that it could take three to four days to reach one’s destination if one manages to get there at all.

“Vehicles cannot cross the floodwater. If travellers want to get through, they have to remove their clothes and swim.

“Despite the challenges, people from the Dikwa, Mafa, Maiduguri, Ngala, and Kala-Balge local government areas are still using that route because it’s the quickest and most convenient route. But it’s dangerous. People could be swept away or drowned in the floodwater.

Baba Gana, a trader, told BusinessDay that sections of the Maiduguri-Dikwa highway were destroyed and cut off by the flash flood about 11 days ago.

“It is a serious problem because the movement of passengers and goods from Maiduguri to the neighboring countries of Chad and Cameroon has been cut off.

“If you want to cross the road by car, you have to pay ₦30,000 to get your car mounted on drogues [a locally made floating platform using drums and barrels] and pulled across. But the youths who are offering this service can only pull small cars carrying few passengers. They cannot pull trucks across.

“Some passengers pay the normal fare of ₦3,000. When they reach the flooded sections of the road, they disembark and swim through the floodwater. When they get to the other end, they get into a different car and continue their journey. It’s the only way to get through. But, no matter how you choose to travel, it costs more money.”

Mohammed Bukar, a trader, lamented that Maiduguri-Damboa is a major challenge to transport goods from and to the southern part of Borno.

“The roads have never been that good but the floodwaters have made them even worse. The Maiduguri-Damboa highway is the main road used by traders.

“Right now, my property and goods worth millions of naira are still here in Maiduguri. We are just hoping that after the rainy season, the roads will receive our attention, and we will be able to travel. For now, our business activities and trading have come to a standstill,” Bukar.

Birtus Maidawa, a resident of Chibok appealed to the Borno State Government to urgently intervene and repair the dilapidated highway to ease the transportation of goods and services for the overall benefit of the state, as Damboa remains one of the major suppliers of food commodities to the state capital.

“Urgent intervention by the state government is necessary to prevent further damage to the highway and to alleviate the associated hardships for the people.

Read also: Flood: Borno faces triple jeopardy as fact emerges

Floods destroy rice-producing communities, as food insecurity looms

The flooding has caused widespread damage to crops, as well as agricultural fields which millions of people cultivate every year to make a living.

The affected farmlands submerged by the flood cut across Maiduguri, Jere, Dikwa, Mafa, Marte, Kala-Balge, and Ngala local government areas. The flood destroyed thousands of hectares of rice farms, including other crops.

In communities like Mafa, Dikwa, Rann, New Marte, Du-Usman, and Zabarmari, it was learned that crops were either washed away or were getting rotten from being waterlogged by the flooding. One of the most reliable rice hubs in the Northeast region, paddies that produced the larger chunk of rice consumed in Borno and beyond were all waterlogged.

One of the rice farmers, Bulama Auwalu, decried that the devastating flood struck when they were about to begin harvest.

“All the money I invested in seeds, fertilizer, and labour to cultivate the land has been lost. The flood washed away everything, and, that is the condition of every farmer in this village. The flood disaster washed all the farmlands away; it was devastating, and we had nothing to rely on.

“How do we survive this calamity that has befallen us now? I am doomed; nothing left for us to feed our families,” he said.

Hassan Yusuf Maikudi, regretted that the rice was ready for harvest when the flood ravaged the community.

“Some farmers were to harvest their crops in one week when the flash floodwater swept their farms. Many of these farmers have been left with nothing to eat, let alone getting any cash from our four months investment.

“As you know, this community is a rice and fish-producing community. After the flood disaster, we are yet to come to terms with the reality. Everything looks so strange to us.

Monarch lists ways to avert future occurrence

Following the recent flood disaster which cut off the road linking Nigeria with neighboring countries of Chad, Cameron and other central African countries, the Shehu of Dikwa, Ibrahim Umar Elkenemi has advocated the need for the Federal Government to construct an Arch dam in Dikwa Local Government to stem future occurrence and provide support for farmers in the area.

The Shehu described Dikwa town as a critical location in the country, being a route for international business transactions.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to construct an Arch dam between Mafa and Dikwa Local Government Areas (LGAs). The dam would serve as a critical measure to mitigate future flooding, support irrigation farming, and provide a sustainable water source for the local population,” he said

According to him, “The people in these areas often struggle to access water for domestic and animal use and the construction of the dam would address both water scarcity and food security through irrigation during the dry season.

He mentioned that the disaster has caused significant damage to Dikwa and its impact have left many residents and farmers in confusion.

“The flood has caused serious damage to my community, whether residential, educational institutions, agriculture, health sector and commercial activities, everything has been affected. We cannot even quantify the damage. But I am sure about nine wards were affected, including moto parks, Shuwari ward, some parts of Ajari, Bulabulin and lots of them. We have also recorded four deaths, that was when a flood capsized last week.

“But we are glad, Governor Zulum has visited us, and he appointed a high-powered committee to let them go and see and assess the extent of effect it has caused our people. We are confident that the process will benefit our people,” he said.

The royal father also called on countries in the lake Chad region to come together and ensure safety on the Maiduguri-Dikwa highway.

“This road is beneficial to Nigeria and especially neighbouring countries, I urge the Federal Government to collaborate with these countries to initiate a good road in the area and after completing the project, we have to sit and draw a programme to regulate lorries because the way they load their vehicles is too much and heavy. Through that, they will be able to monitor them to avoid over loading so that the roads will not damage again,” he said.

NEDC promises to rehabilitate Northeast bridges

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has sought the collaboration of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in the rehabilitation of bridges and roads affected by floods in the sub-region.

The Managing Director, of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, who spoke at an emergency meeting with the engineers in Maiduguri, whose team went around for an inspection tour of the six states, raised concern over the destruction of bridges and roads in the region.

Alkali pointed out that devastating floods led to the collapse of many bridges in the Northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Taraba and Gombe, while assuring that the commission would give deserve attention to the dilapidated bridges across the region.

“There is no state in the northeast that is not affected, however, that of Maiduguri remained the apex. As per our mandate, we have decided to intervene appropriately across the northeast zone.

NSE is the right body to work with as far as the issue of affected bridges and roads is concerned.

“The commission has visited all the six states; in Taraba I know of two bridges that collapsed completely, in Adamawa we have more than five, in Yobe about three, same in Bauchi and Gombe with Maiduguri as the climax,” Alkali said.

He tasked the NSE members to come up with a quick assessment of the destruction to ascertain the cost of repairs in view of the vital role of the bridges in the socio-economic development of the affected states.