Bouillon cubes, typically made from salt, sugars, starch, vegetable fats and proteins, as well as herbs and spices, are widely used in Nigeria. Experts say their fortification could vastly improve the diets of millions of families living on restricted budgets, as they cannot afford protein-rich meals like fish and meat.
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Video - Nigeria’s health authorities to fortify bouillon cubes to improve diets
Nigeria flags flood risk in 11 states as Cameroon releases dam water
Nigeria's hydrological services agency has warned of potential flooding in 11 states after neighbouring Cameroon said it was starting to release water from one of its largest dams following recent heavy rainfall in West and Central Africa.
The warning comes as Nigeria is already grappling with severe floods in northeastern Borno state where a dam burst its walls after heavy rains that have also caused floods in Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Niger - all part of Africa's Sahel region that usually receives little rain.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) said it had been notified by authorities in Cameroon on Tuesday that they had started controlled water releases from Lagdo dam.
Cameroon has several dams on the Benue River, which flows downstream to Nigeria.
A spokesperson for Cameroon's utility ENEO, which manages the dam, told Reuters there was a possibility that the dam could be flooded, but the reservoirs had not been opened on Wednesday morning.
The NIHSA said Lagdo dam managers would gradually release water in a way not to exceed the capacity of the Benue river downstream to prevent flooding.
But 11 states, including Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi in the food producing central belt region and southern oil producing states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers were at risk, said NIHSA.
It urged federal and state authorities in Nigeria "to step up vigilance and deploy adequate preparedness measures to reduce possible impacts of flooding that may occur as a result of increase in flow levels of our major rivers at this period".
In 2022, Nigeria lost more than 600 people and farmlands to the worst flooding in a decade following heavy rain and after Cameroon released water from Lagdo dam.
Experts said then that Nigeria's failure to complete a dam of its own that was supposed to backstop the Cameroonian one worsened the disaster.
Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, is prone to flooding but critics say defective infrastructure and poor planning worsen the situation.
By MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
Related story: Nigeria's flood-hit residents lament expensive canoe rides
Nigeria's flood-hit residents lament expensive canoe rides
When floods swept through Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri last week, canoe owners volunteered to help move residents to safety. But residents say they are now being ripped off by the canoe owners charging steep fees to move their belongings.
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, is reeling from the worst flooding in three decades after a dam wall burst following heavy rains that also hit several parts of West and Central Africa.
With vehicles unable to move in many parts of Maiduguri, residents are relying on canoes.
Falmata Muhammed, a 48-year-old mother of three said she decided to move some furniture this week but was shocked when a canoe owner charged her 80,000 naira ($49.56) for a short trip, more than the monthly minimum wage.
After losing almost everything to floods, she was upset that "some are making it a big business, using the disaster to make a huge amount of money."
Fisherman and canoe owner Mohammed Yusuf said he still moved residents for free but that some residents offered money to use his canoe.
By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters
Related story: Video - Humanitarian crisis looms in Nigeria’s flood-hit Borno State
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Video - Nigeria to establish blood collection centers nationwide to tackle the shortage
The government hopes the action addresses the shortfall of 73 percent of blood that's needed for medical emergencies.
Video - Humanitarian crisis looms in Nigeria’s flood-hit Borno State
Aid agencies warned of a humanitarian crisis and an outbreak of waterborne diseases. The United Nations World Food Programme said it needs 148 million U.S. dollars to support flood victims for the next six months.
Related story: UN agencies assist families affected by floods
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