 Map of Nigeria | |
| Date | September 2017 |
|---|---|
| Location | Benue State, Nigeria |
| Cause | Long-term rainfall leading to flash floods and river overflowing |
| Property damage | 2,000+ houses destroyed |
The 2017 Benue State flooding took place in September 2017 in Benue State, Nigeria. [1] It displaced at least 100,000 people, [2] [3] and damaged more than 2,000 homes. [4]
Weeks of rainfall led to flash floods, discharges and river overflowing in Benue State in north-central Nigeria. 21 out of 23 local government areas in Benue are affected. [5] Flooding in the area is common due to heavy rains and the Benue River flowing through the area.
The flooding was similar to the severe one in 2012. The flood submerged two major bridges on River Guma at Tor Kpande and Mande Ortom. Farmlands and food barns were also destroyed in the affected communities. The newly constructed Daudu-Gbajimba, and University of Agriculture Makurdi roads, were not spared as they became impassable after several portions of the roads were washed away by the rising flood waters. [6] Agriculture in Benue faces several challenges which threaten the future of agriculture. Rainfall intensity seemed to be increasing with a gradual reduction. The average discharge at Makurdi hydrological station was 3468.24 m³s⁻¹, and the highest peak flow discharge was 16,400 m³s⁻¹. The daily maximum temperature and annual average temperature are gradually rising, leading to increased heat. Analysis showed that the soils are moderately fertile but require effective application of inorganic and organic fertilisers. The main occupational activities in the area are based on agriculture. [7]
Nigeria is a country in West Africa. It shares land borders with the Republic of Benin to the west, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and Niger to the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the south and it borders Lake Chad to the northeast. Notable geographical features in Nigeria include the Adamawa Plateau, Mambilla Plateau, Jos Plateau, Obudu Plateau, the Niger River, Benue River, and Niger Delta.
Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 among the seven states created at that time. The state derives its name from the Benue River which is the second largest river in Nigeria after the River Niger. The state borders Nasarawa State to the North; Taraba State to the East; Kogi State to the West; Enugu State to the South-West; Ebonyi and Cross-Rivers States to the South; and has an international border with Cameroon to the South-East. It is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma and Igede. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo, Jukun peoples etc. Its capital is Makurdi. Benue is a rich agricultural region; popularly grown crops include: oranges, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax, yams, sesame, rice, groundnuts, and Palm Tree.
Makurdi is the capital of Benue State, located in central Nigeria, and part of the Middle Belt region of central Nigeria. The city is situated on the south bank of the Benue River. In 2016, Makurdi and the surrounding areas had an estimated population of 365,000.
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Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev is a tertiary institution in Yandev near Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. The college dates back to 1926 when the British colonial government established a farm training center at Yandev, then in Tiv province of the Northern Region. In 1973, the Benue-Plateau State government upgraded the center to a school of Agriculture with an initial enrollment of 23 students. In 1983, the Department of Agriculture of the Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology, Makurdi was merged with the school. In April 1991, the school was renamed the Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev after Dr. James Akperan Orshi, the late monarch of the Tiv nation. The college now has over 2,000 students on a campus that covers 231 hectares.
Benue State University is a state-owned university in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. In 2006, student enrollment was over 19,000 served by 7 faculties, 23 departments. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs with a catalog of over 58 graduate programs across 9 colleges/faculties. It is accredited by the National Universities Commission. The current Vice-chancellor of Benue State University is Professor Prof. Tor Iorapuu who took over from Professor Msugh Moses Kembe on 3 November 2020.
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Samuel Ioraer Ortom is a Nigerian politician, businessman, administrator and philanthropist. He was a Minister of State Trade and Investments in Nigeria during the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. Ortom was elected governor of Benue State as a member of the All Progressives Congress in 2015, though later defecting to the People's Democratic Party. He was re-elected as governor on 29 May 2019. Ortom's tenure ended on 29 May 2023, succeeded by a Catholic priest of the opposition party, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Terhemen Tarzoor is a Nigerian Economist and Real Estate Developer from Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State in North Central Nigeria who currently serves as Nigerian Ambassador to Namibia. He previously served as Speaker in the Benue State House of Assembly in which he represented his constituency. Tarzoor came to prominence when he ran unsuccessfully for the seat of the Governor of Benue State, losing to Samuel Ortom in the 2015 General Elections. He finished runner-up despite running as a favorite candidate on the platform of the then ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He went on to challenge the result of the election in a petition filed to the Benue State Governorship Tribunal claiming that the winner, Governor Samuel Ortom, was not validly nominated to contest for the seat. His claim was however dismissed by the court of appeal on grounds that it lacked merit.
Msugh Moses Kembe is an academic and the 5th substantive Vice chancellor of Benue State University. He was appointed by Benue state governor Dr. Samuel Ortom and assumed office on November 3, 2015.
The Benue State House of Assembly is the legislative arm of the government of Benue State of Nigeria. It is a unicameral legislature with 32 members elected from the 23 local government areas of the state. This makes the number of legislators in the Benue State House of Assembly 32.
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Akawe Torkula Polytechnic (ATP) is a polytechnic in Makurdi, Benue State, Central Nigeria. It came into being when Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies, ATCAPS, was upgraded to a polytechnic by the Benue State Executive Council in January 2020.
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