Sokoto Farmers Lose Billions as Climate Warnings Fail to Reach Them

Fahad Muhammad Galadanchi

Rice farmers in Sokoto State have suffered massive losses following floods and erratic rainfall, blaming poor communication of weather forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

In Shinaka, Goronyo Local Government Area, 70-year-old farmer Ibrahim Jingilma lost N5 million worth of rice to flooding in 2025, his second consecutive year of losses. The disaster also claimed his son, who died after drinking contaminated water during a dredging effort.

Jingilma is among at least 249 farmers in the community whose crops were destroyed after delayed rains and prolonged dry spells disrupted planting cycles, leaving harvests exposed to floods.

Farmers say they never received any early warning or advisory from NiMet, despite the agency receiving billions of naira annually for climate services. Many said they were unaware of the agency’s existence.

Nationally, rice production has declined to 5.23 million metric tons in the 2024/2025 season, while a recent report estimates farmers lost up to five trillion naira over two seasons due to poor or missed forecasts.

Beyond weather issues, farmers also blame flooding from water releases at the Goronyo Dam, managed by the Rima Basin Development Authority, which has destroyed hundreds of hectares of farmland.

In neighbouring Gada communities, insecurity has worsened the crisis. Farmer Shuaibu Muhammad, who survived abduction by armed groups, lost an additional N500,000 worth of crops to floods in 2025.
Responding, NiMet said it does not communicate directly with farmers but relies on state agricultural extension services to disseminate forecasts.

The agency also cited radio programmes and ongoing plans to introduce SMS-based alerts.
However, the gap between forecast and farm remains wide, leaving many rural farmers vulnerable to climate shocks and deepening poverty.