Standing in knee-deep floodwater, Viviane Tavershima gazed over her farm in Agada, Benue State. Her farm manager had called, earlier that morning in September 2021, to inform her that the farm was deluged.
She had planted the 12-hectare land with hibiscus, melon, groundnut, rice, maize, soybeans and tubers.
“I didn’t know that place was prone to flooding until the previous year,” she said.
It is not easy wading through a flooded farmland. For Ms Tavershima, it is even more complicated. Due to a spinal condition that affects her mobility, she walks with the aid of crutches and wears specially adapted sandals. In a muddy terrain, movement becomes even more difficult for her.
Ms Tavershima said she begged the villagers to help salvage the crops.
“The flood hadn’t covered it completely. I asked the locals around to assist because we could dig. They refused. What they did was steal the crops instead,” she said.
The flood eventually destroyed about eight hectares of crops. She was only able to save some tubers, including yam and orange-fleshed sweet potato.
Despite the losses and her physical challenges, she speaks calmly about her experiences, often breaking into a smile while describing some of the most difficult moments of her farming journey.
A study conducted by the Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative found that at least 1,118 women with disabilities engaged in agriculture across 27 states reported facing significant barriers to farming and livelihoods. The challenges are compounded by climate change, which is increasing flooding, extreme heat and erratic rainfall. The study found that women farmers face a 30 per cent yield gap compared to men due to limited access to land, agricultural inputs and extension services.
Most respondents earned less than ₦50,000 per month, while many lacked accesses to credit, assistive technologies and disability-inclusive agricultural programmes, leaving them particularly vulnerable to climate-related shocks.
Why the risks are growing
A climate change expert, Esther Ajah, said rising temperatures, prolonged heat waves, erratic rainfall patterns, and flooding have significantly worsened conditions for Nigerian farmers in recent years.
She noted that data and seasonal climate predictions from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have consistently warned of extreme weather events, including delayed rainfall and heat stress.
“The heatwaves recorded in the last two to three years have been particularly severe. Farmers are increasingly experiencing crop losses as a result of excessive heat, while food spoilage has become more common,” she said.
According to her, climate change has accelerated land degradation and contributed to declining agricultural yields. Citing global statistics, she said one-third of the world’s agricultural land is already degraded, while more than 700 million people lack access to basic food, underscoring the growing link between climate change and global hunger.
In Nigeria, she said, the consequences are evident across multiple sectors. Farmers are losing livestock, crop production has declined in several areas, and fishing communities are recording reduced catches.
“Many fishing communities report that fish stocks are no longer what they used to be. Climate change is affecting aquatic ecosystems and reducing productivity,” she said.
Ms Ajah also highlighted inadequate storage and cooling facilities as a major factor contributing to post-harvest losses. She noted that poor storage infrastructure continues to undermine both food security and the country’s agricultural export potential.
She cited the cocoa sector, one of the largest contributors to Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings, as an example of an industry affected by insufficient investment, land degradation and poor storage systems. Similar challenges, she said, are affecting the oil palm sector.
Beyond climate-related factors, Ms Ajah identified several human-induced problems worsening environmental degradation. These include poor waste management, indiscriminate land clearing, inadequate environmental assessments, and poorly designed infrastructure projects.
She explained that blocked drainage systems, waste disposal into waterways and poorly terminated flood-control structures often exacerbate flooding in vulnerable communities.
“Climate change is not acting alone. Anthropogenic activities such as poor waste management and unsustainable land-use practices are amplifying its impacts,” she said.
The expert further warned that climate change is deepening existing social and economic challenges, including insecurity and rural poverty. According to Ms Ajah, smallholder farmers, indigenous populations, women and other vulnerable groups remain among those most affected.
She said climate-related disruptions are contributing to declining food production, increasing food prices and reducing access to nutritious food for millions of people.
“Climate change is amplifying existing vulnerabilities and increasing the number of people who do not have access to adequate food and quality nutrition,” she added.
Studies have shown rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and increasing flood incidents across Nigeria.
A 2024 study found that very strong heat stress now affects large parts of the country, while flood extents increased significantly between 2018 and 2024.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), more than 5.2 million people were affected by floods across 35 states in 2024, while more than 1,200 lives were lost.
Beyond the flood
For Ms Tavershima, the challenges of farming extend beyond a single flooding incident.
Navigating farmlands is already difficult because of her disability, but climate-related events often worsen the situation. During the rainy season, wet and muddy areas can make movement impossible, forcing her to hire people to carry her around the farm.
“The least I pay is N2,000 for someone to carry me. The other time I paid a guy N5,000 to carry me around, but the work was too much, and he even got tired. They brought a wheelbarrow halfway. We crossed the water, and when we reached another flooded part, he carried me again,” she said.
Ms Tavershima was also allocated a government-supported farming site in Bamada, Benue State, where boreholes were provided to support dry-season farming. However, insecurity in the area prevented her from making full use of the opportunity.
Aside from flooding, extreme heat is another challenge. She said high temperatures cause physical discomfort, reducing the amount of time she can spend on the farm. The heat also affects crop yields, leading to financial losses.
“Apart from our environment not having workable systems, global warming is doing a lot,” she said.
According to her, many local farmers continue to rely on traditional farming practices even as changing weather conditions demand new approaches.
“These local people insist on local seeds. I use hybrid seeds and fertiliser. Anything hybrid, if you don’t use fertilizer, you won’t get results,” she said.
“Because of global warming and these changes, their farms are no longer yielding. They now see your own farm as an escape route because they live there and visit your farm regularly. Some end up stealing from you.”
She believes that many farmers refusing to adapt to changing environmental realities is worsening food insecurity in their communities.
“All these things fail because they won’t heed advice. When the effects of global warming take place, everybody is at a loss. They have land, but they are getting hungry because they are refusing to adapt to the environmental changes that are coming.”
When climate shocks become financial crises
The losses from flooding were not an isolated incident. Successive farming seasons pushed Ms Tavershima deeper into debt and forced her to reconsider her future in agriculture.
She recalled losing about N4 million after a failed farming season in 2022. Hoping to recover, she invested again in subsequent years, but the returns never came.
“This year again, I cultivated three hectares and spent over N1 million. I didn’t get anything in return,” she said.
According to her, the repeated losses have crippled not only her farming activities but also her food-processing business, which depends on farm produce as raw materials.
She had planned to use proceeds from farming to get processing equipment and reduce her dependence on contract manufacturers. Instead, she is struggling to keep both businesses afloat.
“The main reason for my insistence on farming was to get enough money to buy machines for my processing business,” she said. “But every year, I go deeper into debt.”
Ms Tavershima currently has two NAFDAC-certified products but says a shortage of raw materials and working capital has forced her to suspend production for months.
“Since last December, I haven’t sold any processed products because I don’t have the money to buy raw materials,” she said.
After years of losses, she has decided to scale back farming operations and focus on processing.
“I officially quit. It’s not worth it anymore,” she said.
Accessing credit has also proven difficult. She believes financial institutions are reluctant to lend to farmers because of the risks associated with agriculture and are even less willing to support farmers living with disabilities.
“They will inspect the farm, ask you to open accounts and meet all the requirements, but in the end, nothing happens,” she said.
Similar experiences, different realities
Theresa Odu, an Abuja-based farmer, said she repeatedly lost her vegetables in 2023 and 2024.
“Between March and April of 2023 and 2024, the weather was very hot, my vegetables were dying,” she said.
She started watering the vegetables using a hose. However, the method was not effective. “It takes a long while to water with a hose” she said.
Another farmer, Dorcas Taarzor, also complained about changing weather patterns.
“We expected rain from April or May, but up till now nothing. We normally plant rice by April or early May. For the three-month variety, by August, you should be harvesting. But we can’t harvest it by August because the weather is really changing things.”
Like Ms Tavershima, Ms Taarzor has also suffered losses from flooding.
“Last year and two years back, my three hectares rice farm were all flooded. It was a big loss. My maize farm was also affected last year. Two hectares lost.”
Adapting to changing climate
Faced with rising temperatures and unpredictable weather, some farmers are adjusting their farming methods.
Mrs Odu turned to irrigation in 2025, after repeatedly losing vegetables to extreme heat.
“I spent about N10 million. To go into this drip irrigation system, you need a borehole, solar and other accessories.”
For Ms Taarzor, adaptation has meant changing planting schedules and choosing crop varieties that can better withstand floods.
“The flood normally comes by September, so I plant very early, especially if it is maize, so that before September, I harvest. For rice, I plant a variety that I can harvest at that time, too. Some varieties of rice can withstand flood. It is called Odo-Odo. We’ve tried to adjust our planting date and all that,” she said.
Little or no support
The women interviewed had different experiences on support from government and development programmes.
Ms Odu has never benefited from one, but Ms Taarzor was involved in projects supported by GIZ and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
“After my service, I was recommended. I did a programme with FMARD (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). I applied for the N-Power programme and I was shortlisted. I was among the enumerators of farms. We go to your farm, we capture you and all that.
“Based on my performance, I was recommended by the Benue office when this company came and said they needed extension agents that can take mechanisation to farmers.
“They recommended me based on my performance in agriculture. I’ve trained farmers for over four years on good agricultural practice under GIZ. They give you a machine to render services to people on their farms. I’m here in Agasha helping other farmers with mechanisation.”
Ms Odu’s experience was frustrating.
“I’m a member of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Abuja chapter. They asked us to open an account with either Bank of Industry or Bank of Agriculture. We paid either N5,000 or N10,000. Up till today, I have not received my account number, not to talk of a loan.”
Policy gaps
Nigeria has adopted policies aimed at improving women’s participation in agriculture and strengthening climate resilience. The Revised National Gender Policy in Agriculture (2025–2030) identifies women and persons with disabilities as priority groups for agricultural support and climate adaptation interventions.
Yet the experiences of the women interviewed for this report suggest a gap between policy intentions and realities on the ground.
Government response
Responding to concerns about the impact of climate change on women farmers, a gender specialist at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMARS), Wasiu Oyeleke, insisted that the government is implementing climate-smart agriculture programmes targeted at vulnerable groups, including women and youth.
Mr Oyeleke said the ministry, in partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and development partners such as the World Bank, provides farmers with seasonal climate forecasts and early warning information to help them prepare for droughts, flooding and changing rainfall patterns.
He added that government programmes are also promoting drought-resistant and pest-resistant crop varieties. According to him, the ministry is currently supporting farmers through the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI), which promotes climate-smart agriculture and drought-tolerant rice varieties to improve yields and strengthen food security.
What needs to change?
Environmental researcher Ebere Akwuebu said many women farmers already possess local knowledge that helps them identify climate-related risks and disasters.
She believes government interventions need to become more targeted and responsive to local realities.
According to her, the government should develop toolkits tailored to the specific climate challenges faced by women in different regions of the country and strengthen awareness around early warning systems.
She noted that climate impacts vary across regions, with erosion and flooding more prevalent in southern Nigeria, while drought and water scarcity remain significant challenges in northern communities due to their proximity to the desert and the shrinking Lake Chad Basin.
Ms Akwuebu also identified insecurity as an emerging challenge that increasingly compounds the effects of climate change on rural livelihoods.
“The government should intensify awareness-raising on early warning systems,” she said, adding that adaptation measures must reflect the realities and needs of women in different communities.
A delayed rainy season in 2026 pushed the planting cycle back to late April and May, leaving rural communities highly vulnerable to impending seasonal floods. For female farmers, these disruptions trigger an immediate downward economic spiral.
New beginning
After years of battling floods, heatwaves, crop losses and mounting debt, Ms Tavershima has begun planning her next chapter.
She intends to relocate to Enugu to focus on food-processing. For now, she shuttles between Nasarawa and Benue states for her farming activities. For her, adaptation no longer means adjusting planting dates or choosing different crop varieties. It means starting over.
This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)
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