 Map of Nigeria | |
| Date | September 2017 |
|---|---|
| Location | Benue State, Nigeria |
| Cause | Long-term rainfall leading to flash floods and river overflowing |
| Property damage | 2,000+ houses destroyed |
The 2017 Benue State flooding took place in September 2017 in Benue State, Nigeria. [1] It displaced at least 100,000 people, [2] [3] and damaged more than 2,000 homes. [4]
Weeks of rainfall led to flash floods, discharges and river overflowing in Benue State in north-central Nigeria. 21 out of 23 local government areas in Benue are affected. [5] Flooding in the area is common due to heavy rains and the Benue River flowing through the area.
The flooding was similar to the severe one in 2012. The flood submerged two major bridges on River Guma at Tor Kpande and Mande Ortom. Farmlands and food barns were also destroyed in the affected communities. The newly constructed Daudu-Gbajimba, and University of Agriculture Makurdi roads, were not spared as they became impassable after several portions of the roads were washed away by the rising flood waters. [6] Agriculture in Benue faces several challenges which threaten the future of agriculture. Rainfall intensity seemed to be increasing with a gradual reduction. The average discharge at Makurdi hydrological station was 3468.24 m3s⁻¹, and the highest peak flow discharge was 16,400 m3s⁻¹. The daily maximum temperature and annual average temperature are gradually rising, leading to increased heat. Analysis showed that the soils are moderately fertile but require the effective application of inorganic and organic fertilisers. The main occupational activities in the area are based on agriculture. [7]
On May 7, 2024, there was a flooding incident in Makurdi, Benue State, that affected various communities and vacuated many people. The flood overwhelmed homes, businesses, and infrastructure, causing damages to buildings, infrastructure, and agriculture. [8]
- Affected areas include Kighir, Idye-Nenger, Zone 4, Wurukum, Wadata, Akpehe, Madonna, Judges Quarters, Gyado-Valla, and Achusa communities.
- The number of people affected has been estimated to be around 2,000.
Benue River, previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is the major tributary of the Niger River. The size of its catchment basin is 319,000 km2. Almost its entire length of approximately 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) is navigable during the summer months. As a result, it is an important transportation route in the regions through which it flows. The name Benue comes from 'Ber-nor, meaning 'river or lake of hippopotamus in the Tiv language,{{ref >= benue Wikipedia]] The River Benue looking south east from Jimeta.]]
Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in the 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 and was among the seven states created at that time. The state derives its name from the Benue River initially called Ber-nor, a compound word in Tiv language which means river or lake of hippopotamus the name Ber-nor was corrupted to BENUE by colonial masters, the river is the second largest river in Nigeria after the River Niger. The state borders Nasarawa State to the North; Taraba State to the East; Kogi State to the West; Enugu State to the South-West; Ebonyi and Cross-Rivers State to the South; and has an international border with Cameroon to the South-East. It is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma and Igede people. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo and Jukun people etc. Its capital is Makurdi. Benue is a rich agricultural region; common crops cultivated in the state include oranges, yams, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, sesame, rice, groundnuts and palm trees.
Makurdi is the capital of Benue State, located in central Nigeria, and part of the Middle Belt region of central Nigeria. The city is situated on the south bank of the Benue River. In 2016, Makurdi and the surrounding areas had an estimated population of 365,000.
Vandeikya is a local government area in Benue State Nigeria.
Lagdo Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Northern Province of Cameroon, on the Benue River, in the Niger basin. The lake covers an area of 586 km2.
Guma is a Local Government Area of Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Gbajimba.
Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev is a tertiary institution in Yandev near Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. The college dates back to 1926 when the British colonial government established a farm training center at Yandev, then in Tiv province of the Northern Region. In 1973, the Benue-Plateau State government upgraded the center to a school of Agriculture with an initial enrollment of 23 students. In 1983, the Department of Agriculture of the Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology, Makurdi was merged with the school. In April 1991, the school was renamed the Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev after Dr. James Akperan Orshi, the late monarch of the Tiv nation. The college now has over 2,000 students on a campus that covers 231 hectares.
Aper Aku (1938–1988) was elected governor of Benue State, Nigeria in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, he left office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.
The 2012 Nigeria floods began in early July 2012. It killed 363 people and displaced over 2.1 million people as of 5 November 2012. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 30 of Nigeria's 36 states were affected by the floods and the two most affected areas were Kogi and Benue States. The floods were termed as the worst in 40 years, and affected an estimated total of seven million people. The estimated damages and losses caused by the floods was N2.6 trillion.
Samuel Ioraer Ortom is a Nigerian politician, businessman, administrator and philanthropist. He was a Minister of State Trade and Investments in Nigeria during the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. Ortom was elected governor of Benue State as a member of the All Progressives Congress in 2015, though later defecting to the People's Democratic Party. He was re-elected as governor on 29 May 2019. Ortom's tenure ended on 29 May 2023, succeeded by a Catholic priest of the opposition party, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Terhemen Tarzoor is a Nigerian Economist and Real Estate Developer from Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State in North Central Nigeria who currently serves as Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia. He previously served as Speaker in the Benue State House of Assembly in which he represented his constituency. Tarzoor came to prominence when he ran unsuccessfully for the seat of the Governor of Benue State, losing to Samuel Ortom in the 2015 General Elections. He finished runner-up despite running as a favorite candidate on the platform of the then ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He went on to challenge the result of the election in a petition filed to the Benue State Governorship Tribunal claiming that the winner, Governor Samuel Ortom, was not validly nominated to contest for the seat. His claim was however dismissed by the court of appeal on grounds that it lacked merit.
Msugh Moses Kembe is an academic and the 5th substantive Vice chancellor of Benue State University. He was appointed by Benue state governor Dr. Samuel Ortom and assumed office on November 3, 2015.
The Benue State House of Assembly is the legislative arm of the government of Benue State of Nigeria. It is a unicameral legislature with 32 members elected from the 23 local government areas of the state. This makes the number of legislators in the Benue State House of Assembly 32.
Climate Change in Nigeria is evident from temperature increase, rainfall variability. It is also reflected in drought, desertification, rising sea levels, erosion, floods, thunderstorms, bush fires, landslides, land degradation, more frequent, extreme weather conditions and loss of biodiversity. All of which continues to negatively affect human and animal life and also the ecosystems in Nigeria. Although, depending on the location, regions experience climate change with significant higher temperatures during the dry seasons while rainfalls during rainy seasons help keep the temperature at milder levels. The Effects of Climate Change prompted the World Meteorological Organization, in its 40th Executive Council 1988, to establish a new international scientific assessment panel to be called the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The 2007 IPCC's fourth and final Assessment Report (AR4) revealed that there is a considerable threat of Climate Change that requires urgent global attention. The report further attributed the present global warming to largely anthropogenic practices. The Earth is almost at a point of no return as it faces environmental threats which include atmospheric and marine pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, the dangers of pollution by nuclear and other hazardous substances, and the extinction of various wildlife species.
The 2015 Benue State gubernatorial election was the eighth gubernatorial election of Benue State. Held on April 11, 2015, the All Progressives Congress nominee Samuel Ortom won the election, defeating Terhemen Tarzoor of the People's Democratic Party.
The 2023 Benue State gubernatorial election took place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Benue State, concurrent with elections to the Benue State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election — which was postponed from its original 11 March date — was held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP Governor Samuel Ortom was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term. Hyacinth Alia — a suspended Catholic priest — gained the office for the APC by a 33% margin over PDP nominee House of Assembly Speaker Titus Uba.
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The climate of Nigeria is mostly tropical. Nigeria has three distinct climatic zones, two seasons, and an average temperature ranging between 21 °C and 35 °C. Two major elements determine the temperature in Nigeria: the altitude of the sun and the atmosphere's transparency. Its rainfall is mediated by three distinct conditions including convectional, frontal, and orographical determinants. Statistics from the World Bank Group showed Nigeria's annual temperature and rainfall variations, the nation's highest average annual mean temperature was 28.1 °C in 1938, while its wettest year was 1957 with an annual mean rainfall of 1,441.45mm.
The 2022 Nigeria floods affected many parts of the country. From the Federal Government Data, the floods had displaced over 1.4 million people, killed over 603 people, and injured more than 2,400 people. About 82,035 houses had been damaged, and 332,327 hectares of land had also been affected.
The 2022 Adamawa State flood was a natural disaster that occurred in Adamawa State, Nigeria, in September 2022. It affected over 30,000 square kilometers of land and exposed about 6.6 million people to potential risks. The flood was caused by heavy rainfall and increased water flows from the Cameroonian highlands. It resulted in 25 deaths, 58 injuries, and the displacement of 131,638 people. It also submerged 153 communities and damaged houses, farmlands and other properties. The flood highlighted the vulnerability of the region to such events and the need for better preparedness and mitigation measures.
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