Aliyu Abdullahi, the minister of state for agriculture and food security says over 51 percent of farming areas in Nigeria are at risk of flooding.
The Minister made this known on Thursday at the agricultural insurance train-the-trainer workshop in Abuja.
Abdullahi said the 2024 flood outlook released by the ministry of water resources and sanitation, has identified 148 local government areas (LGAs) across 31 states as high flood-risk zones.
He said the report, published in the first quarter of the year, stated 249 LGAs in all 36 states — including the federal capital territory (FCT) — are categorised as moderate flood-risk areas.
“In simple terms, 397 LGAs out of the total 774 LGAs in Nigeria, representing over 51 percent of our farming areas are at risk of flooding,” the minister said.
“We are witnessing the clear and present existential threats of climate change and its impact on our local food systems.”
Abdullahi said the ministry is planning to collaborate with the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and PULA Advisors to integrate agricultural insurance into the national agricultural growth scheme agro-pocket (NAGS-AP) programme.
He said the reality of climate change has made it essential to integrate insurance as a crucial element of the NAGS programme in order to ensure sustainability and food security.
Recall that AgroNigeria had earlier reported that the NAGS-AP programme began during the 2023 dry season with wheat cultivation and recorded bountiful harvests.