Anambra worst hit as NBS says 2022 floods caused $9.12bn economic damage

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has put the total economic damages caused by the flood that ravaged most parts of the country in 2022 at a whopping $9.12 billion.

The figure emanated on Wednesday from the office of the Statistician General of the Federation (SGF), Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, during the launch of the Nigeria Flood Impact, Recovery, and Mitigation Assessment Survey Report at the UN House in Abuja.

According to Adeniran, apart from leading to deaths and forceful eviction of residents, the flooding also led to collateral damage on the economy.

“At the onset of the flooding, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, conducted a preliminary assessment of damage and loss, estimating the total direct economic damages between $3.79 billion and $9.12 billion, with a median estimate of $6.68 billion, as of 25th November 2022,” the SGF said.

Adeniran further noted that households in Anambra State which were impacted by the flooding were the most affected as agricultural activities in the affected areas grounded to a halt as the state’s agriculture experienced a 99.1 per cent impact by the floods.

“By states, Anambra recorded the highest impact by households involved in agricultural activities that were affected at 99.1 per cent, followed by Kogi at 97.4 per cent, and Jigawa at 97.1 per cent,” he said.

The NBS boss also stated that the flooding in Bayelsa State had the least effect on crops at 89.8 per cent, while crop destruction was reported by 67.9 per cent, resulting in reduced crop yields, increased food prices, and limited access to food.

“Out of the total households covered, approximately 64 per cent were affected by the floods across six states selected, with 74 per cent of households in rural areas experiencing higher impacts than those in urban areas, which was (40 per cent).

He added that Bayelsa though faced the highest impact with 99 per cent of interviewed households affected in one way or the other, Jigawa State followed with 94 per cent, Nasarawa, 70 per cent, Kogi,
70 per cent, Delta, 57 per cent, while Anambra recorded 23 per cent.

“Over 57 per cent of the households interviewed reported disruptions in their livelihoods, most especially for those in rural areas.,” he said, adding that non-farm businesses also suffered, with 91.3 per cent adversely impacted, leading to total business loss for 52 per cent.

“Jobs were also affected for nearly 80 per cent of households, primarily through wage reduction, which was (69 per cent) and job loss which wss (49 per cent), while food security was compromised, impacting on 49 per cent of households, with up to 60 per cent of households in rural areas affected.

“The above findings and much more are available in the report being launched today. It is important to state at this point that the findings of this study, just like all the other statistics we report in NBS, are not just mere numbers; they represent the lived experiences of Nigerians who had to endure the hardships brought about by flooding,” Adeniran said.

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