Kwara govt urges farmers to take precautions amid flood alert
The Kwara State government has issued advisory for crop and fish farmers on Tuesday, urging them to take immediate precautions due to a flash flood alert recently released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
Despite not being listed among the 19 high-risk states in NiMet’s July 2025 advisory, the government cautioned that the unpredictable nature of climate and increased rainfall could still threaten farmlands and agricultural livelihoods across the region.
In a statement by Ashaolu Omotola, the press secretary of the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the government highlighted the dangers posed by flash floods, adding that these can strike suddenly and without warning, leading to waterlogging, erosion, pond overflows, and significant damage to crops, farm structures, and input stores if preventive actions are not taken swiftly.
The statement also urged crop farmers to create temporary diversion channels to redirect excess water, use sandbags or soil mounds to protect crops in low-lying areas, relocate seeds, fertilizers, and equipment to higher ground, and, where feasible, harvest near-mature crops early to mitigate potential losses.
Fish farmers were also urged to reinforce pond embankments and perimeter barriers with temporary supports like sandbags, lower pond water levels in anticipation of heavy rains, secure power sources and aeration systems against outages, and relocate portable tanks or hatchery systems from flood-prone zones.
“The Kwara State Government urges farmers to remain alert, monitor weather advisories, and act swiftly to reduce potential damage. Preventive action taken now can protect months of effort and preserve livelihoods,” the statement emphasized.
This alert underscores the government’s commitment to safeguarding food production, enhancing resilience to climate change, and ensuring the continued growth of the state’s agricultural sector.
