- Climate crisis may trigger hunger, surge in food prices – Stakeholders
Intense concern has been growing among farmers and other Nigerians over lack of steady rainfall, saying the climate crisis may plunder masses into more hardship.
Farmers and public affairs analysts said drought would kill crops and frustrate bountiful harvest.
They described the imminent drought as worrisome, saying prices of food items may increase if rain fails to fall as expected.
In Niger, Plateau, Benue and other states, crops have been withering as farmers lament over the drought running into weeks, with various crops, including maize, melon, yam, and millet, among others, drying up on their various farmlands.
A rice farmer in Osun State, Gbenga Alani, lamented lack of steady rainfall, and blamed activities of rain controllers.
He said, “We are in a very disturbing situation and we may not know the extent of this looming danger now until we start seeing it manifesting in the prices in which we buy food items. Most farmlands are drying off and only few are into irrigation.”
On what might have contributed to the change in climatic condition, Alani said, “I know no one can question God and He does things in mystery. But, we know that there are some characters in the world who also manipulate nature. There are those we call rain holders or controllers; some also call them rainmakers. These people are in the habit of manipulating rainfall.
“We have heard that when the government even constructs roads and other projects during the rainy season, their contractors hire rain holders to suspend rain so that they could be able to work. So, we cannot rule out these factors. But, ultimately, something more mysterious is happening of which we mortals may not know.”
A public affairs analyst, James Oyeladun, tasked the Nigerian Meteorological Agency to probe the delay in rainfall and advise Nigerian farmers on best ways to operate in the current climatic condition.
He said, “This alteration in natural weather is disturbing and it is even more worrisome at a time we are going through economic hardship and food inflation in Nigeria. If there is no change in this drought we are experiencing, it may lead to more hunger and hike in food prices. Already, plantations are drying off and crops are dying.”
Oyeladun called on the Ministry of Agriculture to collaborate with NiMET in educating and sensitising farmers on the best approach to the situation.
Meanwhile, religious leaders and traditional rulers across the country have intensified prayers for rainfall.
They resorted to special prayers seeking divine intervention from God over an imminent drought due to the lack of steady rainfall in their respective areas.
A Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Godwin Tyagher prayed for rain as crops continue to wither in many farming communities.
Hundreds of Christians and Muslims in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State recently converged at their different places of worship to pray for rain as crops in various communities in the LGA continue to wither.
The Bida Emirate also organised a prayer session for abundant rainfall and bumper harvests in Niger and other parts of Nigeria.
For over five weeks, Osun State has not witnessed rainfall and this led to a significant loss to farmers.
Muslims in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of the state recently gathered at the community Central Yidi to offer a prayer for rain.
The Muslim community, led by Muslim Community, led by Chief Imam Sheikh Suleiman Atewogbade Afolabi, expressed worries over lack of rain in July and August.
Also, the Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar, traditional leaders, religious leaders and farmers in the emirate converged at the Eid prayer ground in Esso, Bida, for the special prayer session, as the religious and traditional leaders urged citizens to turn away from their “evil deeds” and seek God’s mercy.
