Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi has commiserated with victims of the deadly Mokwa flood.
Recall that the Mokwa flood led to the death of over 160 people and the loss of property worth millions of naira.
In a statement signed by him, the minister revealed that his heart was broken after seeing the graphic visuals of the devastating floods that claimed, as of the last count, 160 lives—men, women and children—in Mokwa, Niger State, last Thursday.
“This is a most difficult time for the families of the victims, their neighbours and, indeed, their communities. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, along with property, including agricultural produce. Infrastructure has also been damaged by the deadly floods. I pray that the Almighty will console the bereaved and lighten their grief. I also extend my profound sympathy to Governor Mohammed Umar Bago who, as chief executive of Niger State, bears the heavy burden of sifting through the wreckage and stabilising traumatised communities,” he said.
The minister thanked President Bola Tinubu for his fatherly message of commiseration and his directive to appropriate agencies to deploy relief to affected communities. He said there is evidence this is being done, and more importantly, there is assurance that those hardest hit by the disaster are the direct recipients of the aid.
“Already, I have complemented the state government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in providing food items to the hundreds of families impacted by the flash floods.
“I must admit that each rainy season in recent years has left me with a deep sense of foreboding, as water-related disasters gain prominence in the news. Usually, these involve boat mishaps in which scores lose their lives, and floods that submerge farmlands, leading to significant crop losses and diminished livelihoods.
“As I pointed out yesterday (June 3, 2025) on the TVC Breakfast programme, which focused on ‘Disaster Management: Evaluating Roles of Government and Citizens,’ the flash floods in Mokwa are yet another urgent reminder of the effects of climate change and why all and sundry must take seriously efforts aimed at mitigation. It is worrisome that Mokwa, which is not on a floodplain, suffered such horrendous damage from flooding caused by torrential rainfall. This is a natural disaster of a magnitude never previously witnessed in Mokwa.”
Abdullahi stated that it bears repeating that, across the country, communities and opinion leaders must take more seriously the seasonal climate prediction by NiMET and the annual flood outlook released yearly by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency. He also stressed the importance of speeding up the desiltation of existing water bodies, while rapidly creating new water-harvesting structures to reduce runoff and associated damage—while taking advantage of the water for agricultural production.
“As co-chairman of the World Bank-financed Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project for restoration of degraded land, I can attest to how the project has helped reclaim arable land in Jigawa State, where desiltation of existing water bodies has created new opportunities for irrigation, farming, and fishing.
“Beyond the ongoing immediate relief to survivors of the Mokwa flood disaster, the greater challenge lies in trauma counselling for persons who lost nearly all their family members, as well as the restoration of livelihoods either compromised or wiped out by the deadly floods. I call on well-meaning citizens and organisations to offer support and help Mokwa—a critical transit route between the north and south of the country—regain its vitality,” he added.
