Benue River (French:la Bénoué), previously known as theChadda River orTchadda, is a majortributary of theNiger River.[2] The size of itscatchment basin is 319,000 km2 (123,000 sq mi). Almost its entire length ofapproximately 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) is navigable during the summermonths.[3][1] As a result, it is an importanttransportation route in theregions through which it flows.[4] The nameBenue comes fromBinuwe, meaning 'Mother of Waters’ in theBatta language.[5]
The River Benue looking south east fromJimeta.Map showing the Benue River drainage basin.
At the point of confluence, the Benue exceeds theNiger by volume. Themean discharge before 1960 was 3,477 cubic metres per second (122,800 cu ft/s)[1] for the Benue and 2,863 cubic metres per second (101,100 cu ft/s) for theNiger.[1] During the followingdecades, the runoff of both rivers decreased markedly due toirrigation.[citation needed]
Benue State has atropical savanna climate. It is warm every month of the year throughout both wet and dry seasons. The annual temperature is 34°C and there is about 244 inch of rain in a year.[7] The state has an average humidity of 61%, dew point of 25 °C, an UV-index of 7 and it is mainly dry for 169 days in a year.[8]
Nigeria’sNational Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), conducted a “disaster risk management analysis” and advised Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to take proactive steps tomitigate the impact of climate change. The agency advised that water bodies across some states be desilted anddredged regularly to make water available for various purposes. The agency urged relevant institutions to carry out routine monitoring of dams and water bodies to ensure their operation rule curve forreservoirs is adhered to.[9]
On September 23, 2022, flooding affected all riverine local government areas of Benue, according to the state Commissioner forWater Resources and Environment, Godwin Oyiwona. The flooding affectedMakurdi,Agatu, Logo, Guma,Buruku,Otukpo, andGwer-West.[10] The government worked to mitigate flooding effects and released funds for cleaning the Idye Basin.[11]
In October 2022, farmers inAdamawa State struggled to clear off remnants of crops destroyed by the flooding. The disaster disrupted many communities acrossNigeria’s 36 states, with hundreds of villages and urban centers submerged in water. Thedisaster unsettled over 2.4 million people and over 600 fatalities were recorded. Additionally, "expansive hectares of farmlands across affected states were swept off."[3]
The worst hit were mostly residents ofagrarian communities near major tributaries in seven of the 21 local government areas in the state. Within three months, 12Local Government Areas (LGAs) were submerged, affecting 82,730 residents, 13,788 households, 51 people injured, and 27 deaths. Farmlands worthbillions ofnaira were destroyed.[citation needed]
PresidentMuhammadu Buhari inaugurated a 3.35-km drainage channel project inMakurdi,Benue, to addressecological challenges in the Idye Community.[12] The project, part of the 17 ecological intervention projects, was approved by the President in thefourth quarter of 2017 and completed in 48 weeks. The project aimed to address the devastating effects of erosion and flood in the region.[13][12]
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Idye Community was among the worst-hit areas of the 2017 flood that displaced over 120,000 persons[14] in theBenue capital,Makurdi. Floods devastated more than 200 households inMakurdi.[15]
Benue Hike Tourism andConservation Foundation, in an attempt to keep the river protected from various forms of pollution, informed theBenue State Government about the irregularities of some companies in the state for emptying waste in the river.Waste likeethanol, that could easily cause damage to human andaquatic life, was dumped into Benue River. Subsequently, the Benue State Government took an immediate attempt in addressing the issue to prevent further damages for its citizenry.[19][20][21]
