The death toll was still at five hundred on Friday, but over a hundred more victims were added last weekend. More than 2,400 people have also been injured so far. And the danger is far from over, according to the minister. There are also warnings for severe flooding in the coming weeks.
No fewer than 27 of the 36 Nigerian states have been affected by the severe flooding. The flooding is caused by a much wetter than usual rainy season. It has been raining more than usual in the African country since the beginning of summer. The release of water from the Lagdo dam in neighboring Cameroon has exacerbated the problems recently.
Some 108,000 hectares of farmland have been largely destroyed. Rice producers have warned that the floods could affect food prices in the country of about 200 million, where rice imports have been banned to stimulate local production.
The United Nations World Food Program said last month that Nigeria is one of six countries at high risk of catastrophic famine.