Since the end of September 2022, the Ibaji Indigenous community with a population of 180,000 again experienced the most severe flooding known in modern-day history, displacing 100% of the population, and uprooting the industrious hard-working people of Ibaji and the environs that traditionally produce the bulk of the organic rice, yams, cassava, and vegetables that feed Igala land and neighbouring states in Nigeria.
Thousands of livelihoods were washed away in over 100 communities in Ibaji and its environs, deepening poverty for Ibaji people who have been struggling to recover from the devastation caused by the unprecedented yearly flooding since 2012.
Sadly, in these yearly flooding disasters and climate crises, governments have consistently failed the hard-working, productive and industrious citizens of Ibaji. We salute individuals, faith-based organizations, churches, civil society organizations, and foundations offering assistance to the Ibaji people.
It is so painful to witness the yearly loss of human lives, and livelihoods of naturally productive people facing social and economic deprivations in Ibaji flood plains and environs – due to failure by governments and climate changes that they knew nothing about, yet suffering the worst consequences. For over 180,000 people in Ibaji and many more in the flood plains, returning to their farms, homes and homeland is pure misery. The majority of the affected people fall into low-income, marginalised populations, including female-headed households, orphans, persons with disability, small-scale farmers and indigenous peoples.
My name is Andrew Achoba, a Nigerian descent currently living in Alberta, Canada. I am fortunate to work in the area of family and community support services. This area continues to broaden my appreciation for family and community.
While Canada is home for my family and me, our ancestral roots are of the Indigenous peoples of Ibaji in Kogi state, Nigeria where residents continue to be impacted yearly by heavy flooding.
As passed down by my father from oral history from his father, (i.e. my late grandfather who was the paramount King of Ichala Ajode Ibaji), the 2022 flooding is unprecedented and linked to climate change.
Like you, I and many people are heartbroken to see the industrious people of Ibaji pushed into hopelessness by climate crisis that they have no control over. This is why I thank you for being part of the solution to this devastating outcome of global warming.
I can assure you that your contributions will go to the “Ibaji Community Flood Cooperative Society” (IFPCMMPCS) where all donations will be transparently utilized, accounted for and publicly reported after application to the affected populations.
As a global citizen and an Indigene of Ibaji, I invite you to join us in your donations to women, children, youth, elderly and families impacted by the perennial flooding; let us bring hope and resilience back to the Ibaji people.
To equip farmers and the entire food systems uprooted by this flood and fragility, your monetary assistance will be directed transparently by the society to:
C$ 10 (₦ 5000) donation is enough for a woman to restart organic Okra, Spinach, and Pepper farms; with a target to reach 10000 Vegetable farmers before the end of 2022.
C$ 15 (₦ 7,500) gives learning materials to a child/semester
C$ 40 (₦ 20,000) will help a farmer/family restart their fast-maturing cassava farm, with an aim to provide cassava cuttings to 20,000 verifiable farmers in each of the 100 communities/villages in Ibaji and its environs.
C$ 80 (₦ 40,000) donation will help a smallholder yam farmer to restart cropping & next season’s seedlings. IFPCMMPCS intends to direct your donation to 10,000 yam farmers in Ibaji and its environs and publish beneficiaries for public scrutiny.
Donations of any amount, besides the vulnerable farmers’ support above, will be utilized to construct Community Shelters in each of the 100 villages, clans and communities suffering the impact of climate and perennial flooding. The society (IFPCMMPCS) has commenced the co-design with the Ibaji people, of community shelters to meet all seasons and climate requirements of people living in flooded areas, to counter future disruptions, and displacements. Each community shelter is estimated to cost C$ 20,000 (₦ 10 million)