The economy of northern Nigeria remains essentially agricultural for most people. You see mile after mile after mile of hand-seeded, hand-tilled, hand-harvested millet and sorghum. The broad flood plains of the few rivers supplement the diet with vegetables and rice. Government projects supported by foreign aid put in a couple of dams for irrigation of a tiny fraction of the total resource (afraid my photos are spoiled). And of course water has to be piped away to support the growing urban populations.

So the rivers no longer flood in the wet season with disastrous results for the whole community. Many of the fish species have died out. The drying of the flood plain means they can no longer grow rice - one farmer, with certain cynicism, told me imported rice is banned to protect local production! Silt no longer replenishes the fields and because the land is exposed during the wet season, erosion is rampant and destroying the fields on the higher ground.

I was there in the nineties and one hopes, possibly forlornly, that maybe things have improved.

You think you have problems? Don't mess with nature!