Abia commences Bende flood, erosion control works as group seeks disaster sites remediation – EnviroNews

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The Abia State Government says it will commence urgent intervention, and mitigation works at flood and erosion sites in affected rural communities in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting in Umuahia on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

Kanu said that the intervention followed the directive of Gov. Alex Otti to the Ministry of Environment to take immediate action in the affected communities.

The communities are Amamba Uzuakoli in Bende Local Government Area, and Ipupe Ubakala in Umuahia South Local Government Area to protect lives and property.

“Let me report that relief will soon come the way of inhabitants of Amamba Uzuakoli flood and erosion site in Bende Local Government Area and Ipupe, Ubakala flood site in Umuahia South Local Government Area,” he said.

According to him, the governor had directed the Commissioner for Environment to deploy urgent intervention measures to reclaim degraded land and avert further destruction.

He said that the Commissioner for Environment had already visited the affected sites with a team of engineers to conduct on-the-spot assessments of the damage.

“The ministry is intensifying efforts to ensure that mitigation works commence immediately in the affected communities,” he added.

Kanu also disclosed that the Abia State Climate Change Policy Document was awaiting the governor’s approval, describing it as a major step toward addressing environmental challenges in the state.

“The Abia State Climate Change Policy Document is ready for sign-off by His Excellency the Executive Governor of Abia State.

“As soon as the governor signs off on that policy document, it will become operational.

“This development will make the international community to begin to take Abia State more seriously in its efforts to combat climate change, particularly with regards to opening up several climate funding opportunities across sectors in the state,” he said.

Kanu noted that implementation of the policy would also help reduce the impact of climate-related challenges such as flooding, erosion, heat waves and food insecurity.

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“Secondly, the implementation of the policy will reduce climate issues in Abia State, for example, in such areas as health, flood, erosion, heat waves, decline in food security, among others, while guaranteeing sustainability,” he said.

Kanu further said that the Ministry of Environment had sustained its house-to-house sanitary inspection exercise across the 17 local government areas of the state.

He said that during the period under review, 103 villages were visited for sensitisation, health education and sanitary inspections, while about 9,000 premises were inspected.

According to him, 37,500 premises received abatement notices for environmental health violations, while 2,500 premises achieved compliance after follow-up inspections.

“With these sanitary inspection interventions, Abia State continues to score very highly in environmental cleanliness among the comity of states in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) has expressed concern over the worsening gully erosion crisis in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, describing the situation as both an environmental catastrophe and a humanitarian emergency requiring urgent, coordinated, and sustainable intervention.

The Uzuakoli erosion site has become one of the most significant ecological threats in Abia State, sated the group, adding that decades of unchecked land degradation have endangered lives, destroyed livelihoods, displaced families, and placed critical public infrastructure at risk.

In a statement, Comrade Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director of FENRAD, noted that the continued expansion of the gully exposes surrounding communities to severe environmental hazards while undermining agricultural productivity, local economic development, and community resilience.

FENRAD acknowledged recent efforts by concerned stakeholders to draw national attention to the crisis and reiterated that addressing environmental disasters of this magnitude requires strong collaboration among government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, host communities, traditional institutions, and the private sector.

Recognising the scale and complexity of the disaster, FENRAD noted that the Abia State Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) is well positioned to provide the comprehensive technical, engineering, environmental, and community-based interventions required to address the Uzuakoli gully erosion menace, given its mandate and experience in erosion control, watershed management, and ecological restoration.

FENRAD urged the Abia State Government and relevant Federal Government agencies to leverage the technical expertise, institutional capacity, and implementation framework established under NEWMAP to facilitate a timely, sustainable, and long-term solution for the affected communities.

FENRAD called on the Abia State Government, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Ecological Project Office, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), relevant committees of the National and State Assemblies, and international development partners to urgently undertake coordinated interventions, including:

1. Comprehensive geotechnical and hydrological investigations.
2. Emergency stabilisation of active gully heads.
3. Construction of sustainable drainage and stormwater management infrastructure.
4. Ecological restoration through afforestation and watershed rehabilitation.
5. Climate-resilient land-use planning and enforcement.
6. Continuous environmental monitoring and maintenance. Community-based disaster risk reduction and environmental education programmes.

FENRAD further called for the immediate deployment of humanitarian assistance to affected households, including:

1. Emergency relief materials.
2. Temporary shelter for displaced families.
3. Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services.
4. Medical outreach and psychosocial support.
5. Educational support for children whose schooling has been disrupted.
6. Livelihood restoration programmes for affected farmers and small businesses.
7. Policy and Governance.

By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom