Benue state has the highest frequency of gully erosion in the country, the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC) has said.
HYPADEC programme director, Dr Muhammad Akali, said this in Makurdi during the presentation of the NEEDs assessment report exercise conducted by the commission in all six states of its operation at a one-day stakeholders meeting.
He said there was no local government area in the state that was not affected by flooding and erosion.
He attributed the worsening gully erosion in the affected areas to the state water bodies that connect directly with River Cameroon.
“The frequency of erosion in Benue State is higher than any other state in Nigeria in terms of the depth in gully erosion which stands at 35.4percent,” Alkali said.
Alkali noted that the NEEDs assessment was conducted in 34 council wards of seven Local Government Areas of Benue State.
He added that 6,358 households were interviewed on specific identified issues.
The seven local government areas where the exercise was carried out in the state included Buruku, Kwande, Agatu, Katsina Ala, Gwer West and Makurdi.
Alkali said upon the assessment, the organisation discovered four major diseases prevalent after every flooding in the affected LGAs were hepatitis, cholera, malaria and typhoid.
He added that Katsina-Ala LGA had the highest level of insecurity followed closely by Agatu and Makurdi areas.
Benue State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, commended the commission for its beautiful ideas and charged it to walk its talk.
