A recent flood in the Shonga community of Kwara State’s Edu Local Government Area has left a trail of destruction, submerging 3,000 hectares of rice farmland and affecting approximately 5,000 farmers. The disaster has also resulted in one reported death due to shock.
The Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahya, has expressed concerns over the unusual timing of the flood, which occurred without any rainfall in the area. He has called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the flood, suggesting that the source may be local.
The Kwara State Government has responded swiftly to the disaster, with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq dispatching a team to assess the damage. The Kwara Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) team has confirmed the extent of the devastation, reporting that several households have been displaced and the local economy has been severely impacted.
The flood has raised concerns about food security in the region, with many farmers facing financial ruin due to lost investments. The community is calling for urgent government intervention to prevent future occurrences and mitigate the effects of the disaster.
