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37 Hectares of Farm Land Submerged in Eket

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October 4, 2026

Media Zone Nigeria

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37 Hectares of Farm Land Submerged in Eket

…Crops, Factory, Residential Buildings Seriously Affected

Several farmers in Ikot Abasi community in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have suffered severe capital losses due to climatic condition as 37 hectares of farm land and buildings have been submerged, while crops and other farm produce are seriously affected.

The CEO of Danenada Farm, Mr. Daniel Essien disclosed this when members of Eket Federal Constituency Media Professionals, EFCMP, led by the Chairman, Comrade Enobong Nsimah, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, visited the farm to assess the level of damages caused by the flood.

Addressing the press, Essien, who is the Supervisor for Agriculture in Eket Local Government Area, stated that he has lived in the area for over nine years and carried out his farming activities without experiencing flood or any other impediment, maintaining that himself and other farmers have lost all their investments worth millions of Naira as a result of the damage caused by the flood.

“I am a farmer and not just a portfolio farmer, but a practicing farmer. A farmer with passion to add up to food security in my local government, the State and country at large. Our products are not only sold in Akwa Ibom State but also Lagos, Abuja and other states in the country.

“This is all I do which is farming, ranging from tree crops, nursery, development and general crop farming. We grow tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, pumpkin, even cocoyam. Anything agriculture is what we do here.

Essien, who is the immediate past Senatorial District Village Youth Presidents, lamented the lost the flood has caused him and other farmers in the area, appealing for government and other governmental agencies to come for their rescue.

“We are sitting on 37 hectares of land here. We have over 12 farmers operating here. I prepared over 27,000 Malaysia supergene oil palm nursery over there. I purposely did that because of the tree crop revolution of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno. We positioned our nursery to meet up with certain percentage of supply. We transplanted over 2 hectares of tomatoes. Over 4700 capacity yam farm has gone. We have over 50 plots of early planting cassava that we have already started selling before the flood came in.

“Our factory building for processing of oil palm and cassava processing have been soaked in water for two weeks and the water keep on rising.

Speaking further, Essien said Danenada Farm alone has employed 47 permanent workers who are coming to work on daily basis and also have trainee workers.

He hinted that he has written to AKADEP and State Secretary on Agric and Food Security, appealing for a way to drain the water away from the farm as such effort will go a long way to assuage their feelings. He also extended a passionate appeal to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, who is also a farmer to come to their aid.

“I have lost everything in the farm. What I want government to do for us is to see how they can drain the water from the farm land and revive us with reasonable resources.

Reacting, the former Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Akwa Ibom State who is also the Chairman, Commercial Farmers Association, Eket Chapter, Pastor Ita Umo Udo, expressed regret of what has befallen Daniel Essien, who he described as an agric entrepreneur who is committed and dedicated to his business.

He maintained that though the occurrence is a natural calamity, but solicited for government to remedy the situation.

Pastor Udo therefore suggested that a committee of expert and environmental professionals should be set up by Akwa Ibom State Government to carry out a study on what is responsible for this natural disaster and advice accordingly if the area is still safe for residential purposes so as to avoid future occurrence.

The Clan Head of Okon Clan, His Highness, Edidem Akpabio Ekpoton, also speaking on the issue, sympathized with those seriously affected by the flood, and lend his voice appealing for intervention by Akwa Ibom State Government.

In their separate speeches, Mr. Aniefiok Ekwere Moses of Laban Multi Services Technology and Obong Ubon Udo James, who is the Director of King Palace Guest House/Event Center, expressed displeasure on the damages caused by the flood, calling on spirited individuals, non-governmental organizations, intervention agencies, among others to come for their rescue.