Of all environmental troubles, flooding perhaps presents the worst headache, leaving in its wake a ruinous pile of submerged homes, waterlogged farms and displaced farmers.
This reality is echoed in parts of Nigeria, where flash floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, have drowned thousands and displaced millions more. A harrowing effect of the rising incidence of floods is a strain on the food supply chain, resulting in poor harvests that pale in comparison to the demands of a burgeoning population.
More than 9,450 hectares of farmland across 47 local government areas in the country were struck by floods in the first half of 2025, according to the National Emergency Management Agency, or NEMA.
A similar destructive pattern is emerging in the second half of the year. A flash flood in parts of Adamawa State on July 27 left more than 5,500 residents displaced, with 23 dead.
Additionally, a spate of floods in Ebonyi State, a leading producer of rice in the country, has sparked predictions of price hikes.
Along with investing in early-warning systems and infrastructural maintenance, experts also propose climate-smart agriculture, or CSA, as a sustainable measure against the havoc posed by flooding.
Originally championed by international bodies like the Food and Drug Organisation and the World Bank, CSA entails a range of practices to boost productivity, strengthen farmers’ resilience and minimise greenhouse gas emissions.
Among these practices include adopting crop varieties that are resistant to flood or drought, water conservation techniques and agroforestry, which combines crops and livestock, enabling farmers to produce additional products and diversify their income streams.
Beyond its benefits against adverse weather patterns, a growing body of research points to the improved livelihoods of farmers employing CSA techniques.
Nigeria has long depended on rain-fed agriculture, which has recently been threatened by shifts in climate.
For all its myriad benefits, climate-smart agriculture contends with systemic barriers in a country that has long depended on rain-fed agriculture. Despite their long-term gains, many CSA practices and technologies have been slow to get off the ground because of the heavy initial investment they require.
Given that a great majority of the country’s farmers are smallholders, inadequate capital remains a bane. Meagre funding from the government has not brought any notable success.
These problems resonate across much of sub-Saharan Africa, which is increasingly turning to climate-resilient approaches.
With rising drought, farmers in Kenya are resorting to drought-tolerant maize, sorghum and millet. Needing less water, these crops are better suited for the country’s harsh arid conditions.
In areas like Nyanza and Western Kenya, farmers have taken to agroforestry by planting fruits and timber trees alongside annual crops.
To enable year-round cultivation, Rwanda is investing greatly in water infrastructure, subsidising solar-powered irrigation systems. Its $335 million Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan, announced in June, aims to strengthen the country’s food system, create an investment pipeline and improve market access for its farmers.
Rwanda illustrates how Nigeria can incorporate climate-smart agriculture into its standard curriculum. Similarly, the use of solar-powered equipment ensures efficiency and limits costs.
Flooding has had a cascading effect in Nigeria, turning a climatic event into a national food-security challenge. More important, it has revealed how the country’s conventional farming practices can hardly sustain production today. Thankfully, Rwanda and Kenya offer a brilliant script that the Nigerian government can follow.
Flooding in Nigeria has become a significant environmental challenge, particularly affecting agriculture and food security. Heavy rainfall causes flash floods, which in the first half of 2025 alone affected over 9,450 hectares of farmland and displaced thousands. This worsens the pressure on a growing population's food demands, as seen in critical areas like Adamawa and Ebonyi States.
To mitigate these issues, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is being recommended. This involves practices such as flood and drought-resistant crop varieties, water conservation, and agroforestry, which also contributes to farmer resilience and reduced greenhouse emissions. While these methods promise improved farmer livelihoods and productivity, they are hindered by high initial investment costs and the heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture in Nigeria, especially among smallholder farmers lacking capital.
Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, countries like Kenya and Rwanda have adopted similar strategies with success, such as drought-tolerant crops and solar-powered irrigation, indicating a viable path forward. These examples emphasize the importance of transitioning to more resilient farming to combat climate change's adverse effects on agriculture.
