Governors of the North-East region have raised alarm over what they described as looming humanitarian and economic crises threatening to overwhelm the zone. They warned that unless urgent and coordinated action is taken, the region could soon face devastating floods and severe food shortages.
The warning was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the 12th North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) meeting, which was held on Saturday in Jalingo, Taraba State. The meeting brought together state leaders to deliberate on the growing challenges confronting the region, ranging from climate-related disasters to rising food insecurity.
Forum Chairman and Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, said reliable climate forecasts from national and international agencies point to the likelihood of intense flooding in the months ahead. He noted that this posed a grave risk to both lives and livelihoods across the subregion, which has already endured years of insecurity and underdevelopment.
According to the communiqué:
“The Forum acknowledges the warnings by credible climate monitoring agencies regarding imminent flood disasters in the North-East. We are therefore calling for immediate and proactive measures to mitigate these threats. In particular, residents living along rivers, streams, and other flood-prone areas should be properly sensitised and supported to reduce casualties and losses when the rains intensify.”
The governors further appealed to the Federal Government and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) to accelerate the reconstruction of key infrastructure—especially roads and bridges destroyed by previous flooding incidents. They stressed that restoring such infrastructure is vital for ensuring the free movement of goods and services, which is already being hampered by poor road networks across the region.
On the agricultural front, the Forum expressed worry over the escalating cost of essential farm inputs such as fertilizer, improved seedlings, herbicides, and mechanised equipment. They cautioned that if this trend continues unchecked, farmers may be unable to cultivate optimally during the upcoming farming season, leading to a significant decline in crop yields. This, they warned, would worsen food insecurity, drive up market prices, and deepen poverty across the zone.
The communiqué added:
“Agriculture remains the backbone of our regional economy. The current surge in input costs threatens to undermine the productivity of our farmers, who are already contending with insecurity and displacement. This could result in widespread hunger and economic hardship if not urgently addressed.”
The governors called on relevant federal agencies, development partners, and humanitarian organisations to collaborate with the states in providing immediate relief and long-term resilience-building measures. These, they argued, should include flood-prevention projects, subsidies for farmers, and the establishment of buffer stock programs to stabilise food supply in times of crisis.
By highlighting the twin challenges of flooding and food insecurity, the NEGF reaffirmed its commitment to working collectively to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of millions of residents in the North-East, a region still grappling with the effects of insurgency, displacement, and chronic underdevelopment.
