Date: 2020-07-06

THE Federal Government has listed Kwara State as one of the probable high risk states to be affected by flood in 2020.

This is as the apex government began the distribution of 25,265 NPK fertilizer to farmers affected by flooding in the state in 2018.

The distribution was flagged-off by Mrs Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development on Friday.

Umar-Farouk, who was represented by the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency, AVM Muhammadu Mohammed (retd.), said the fertilizer distribution was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

She explained that the approval was given under the Emergency Agricultural Intervention Programme to farmers affected by conflicts and flood in 2018.

The minister said the exercise was the final phase of the Federal Government’s assistance to farmers to enable them to recover the losses suffered during the flood.

"After verification, 3,468 farmers were given various farm inputs. The total quantity of NPK fertilizer required after verification of the flood to the affected farmers is 25,265 bags of 50kg, which have been delivered to the state,"she said.

The minister, however, stated that the annual flood outlook for 2020 had predicted Kwara to be among the highly probable flood risk states, saying, "Hence the need for the state government to take proactive measures to address the issue.

In his address, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq commended the Federal Government for the symbolic flag-off of distribution of fertilizer to farmers in the three local government areas.