Education
Flooding: Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu place emergency response agencies on alert, redouble preparedness – EnviroNews
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The Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu State Governments say they have intensified measures to mitigate flooding through improved preparedness, evacuation plans, public sensitisation campaigns.
The three states made the assertion in separate interviews while reacting to a survey on flood mitigation.
They said the measures were part of the proactive response to the annual flood predictions and its commitment to safeguarding lives, property and critical infrastructure across the state.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Sylvester Nwite, said the emergency response agencies have been placed on alert, while vulnerable communities identified through risk assessments had been earmarked for possible evacuation should floodwaters exceed safe levels.
“Temporary shelters have been designated in strategic locations to accommodate displaced persons, with relevant ministries, departments and agencies directed to coordinate emergency response efforts,” Nwite stated.
He urged residents living in flood-prone areas to heed early warning messages and cooperate with emergency management officials whenever evacuation becomes necessary.
“I call on the community leaders, traditional rulers and residents to support the state government efforts by maintaining clean drainage systems.
“Refrain from indiscriminate waste disposal and promptly report emerging erosion or flooding incidents to the appropriate authorities.
“On ecological fund, I just resumed office as the new Commissioner and I am yet to have such record,” he added.
Also speaking, the State Emergency Management Agency (EBSEMA) said his team had been working round the clock in checkmating the incident of flooding.
The Executive Secretary of EBSEMA, Mr. Clement Ovuoba, said it had intensified public awareness campaigns through radio, television, community engagements and social media platforms to educate residents on flood risks, safety precautions and the need to avoid building on waterways or blocking drainage channels.
On erosion control and flood mitigation, Ovuoba said ecological fund allocations had been deployed to execute drainage projects, desilt waterways, reclaim erosion sites and construct flood-control infrastructure in vulnerable communities.
He explained that the interventions were aimed at improving water flow, reducing the incidence of gully erosion and minimising the impact of heavy rainfall on residential areas, roads and public facilities.
Ebonyi government budgeted over N2 billion for the ecological fund to manage natural disasters, flooding, and soil erosion for its 2026 fiscal year.
The Enugu State Government, on its own contributions, has commenced statewide mass media messages on flooding prevention and alertness in both English and Igbo languages in different radio and television stations in the state.
The Executive Secretary, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs. Chinasa Mbah, said that the current statewide sensitisation would ensure that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) 2026 Flood Prediction message got to all residents.
According to her, the ongoing jingles in English and Igbo languages in media houses on flood preparedness/alertness is a directive from the governor, who is passionate on the safety of all residents of the state.
She said that the various councils had carried out the “Operation Desilt All Drains and Waterways” directive of the governor to various levels; thus, helping to contain flash flood in some areas in the state.
Mbah said that the state SEMA through the council area chairmen had reactivated all Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) in each of the 17 council areas.
She said, “We have met with various council area LEMC and lectured them on their functions, set up WhatsApp groups for ease of communication and evidence-based feedbacks from communities in their various council areas.
“The council’s LEMC will take the flood prediction message sensitisation to communities and form community flood committees and focal persons as well as formulate early warning system.
“The committee will give update on their activities to the chairmen and the chairmen transmit same to the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and SEMA fortnightly while they report immediately to SEMA or SSG if any flood emergency occur.”
The executive secretary said that the governor had directed chairmen to reactivate and make ready all flood Internally Displaced Persons holding camps.
“The governor approved training and retraining of SEMA staff, which three of the trainings had been done already; we are doing council areas sensitisation as well as collaborative meetings with stakeholders in emergency management.
“We are also planning a flood preparedness simulation training with NEMA and other stakeholders soon to practically test our timing to flood situational response, rescue and welfare,” she said.
Speaking, the Information Officer of NEMA, Mr. Nnayalugo Ezeani, said that the agency had started its flood preparedness sensitisation in some moderate flood risk communities in Ezeagu LGA of the state.
Ezeani said that NEMA had concluded arrangements for massive engagements in council areas and selected communities in Enugu State.
He noted that the agency was also collaborating with Sahel Consulting to bring tailored sensitisation to farmers on flood mitigation and management especially for farmers in flood prone agrarian communities in the state.
In Anambra, the state government has declared a state of emergency against flooding and erosion, sensitising its citizens and other residents across the state to clear the drainage and waterways near them.
The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Clem Aguiyi, said that the measure was part of government efforts to tackle erosion and flooding, especially with the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
NiMet, in February, warned of variable rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, a severe August break in some parts of the country, and generally warmer temperatures across Nigeria.
The agency predicted that 32 states across the country, including Anambra would experience heavy rainfall.
“The state government is doing everything to ensure that the human factors that blocked the drains across the state were eliminated.
“That was why on July 4, we commenced the emergency of clearing drainage, and the citizens came out in their large number to participate.
The state of emergency will last for three months, beginning from July 4.
“The citizens are mobilised from the community, Local Government and state levels to participate in clearing the drainage near them across the state,” he said.
According to him, the people are being sensitized to clear the waterways near them, so that government can evacuate and dispose them properly.
He said that government had invested so much money in the construction of drainage in the last four years.
“You can see that many of the roads constructed within the period have drainage on both sides to evacuate water,” he said.
The commissioner said that the measure would help prevent the citizens and other residents from dumping refuse indiscriminately or into the drainage.
“This is another way of mitigating flooding in Anambra,” he said.
He said that the state was also ensuring that the Federal Government rehabilitated dilapidated federal roads in the state and open up the drainage to prevent flooding and erosion.
Aguiyi noted that there were over 1,200 active erosion sites in the state, which constituted about 35 per cent of its landmass.
He said that the government would soon enforce part of its environmental laws, which mandated every house to own a catchment pit to drain run off water, instead of channeling the water into the drainage.
The commissioner also said that the government had started planting bamboo trees and preventing the people from felling existing ones to prevent gully erosion.
He further said that the government was also considering establishing an environmental trust fund for the communities to enable them respond quickly to environmental emergency.
Aguiyi noted that it had established emergency centres across the state, where people who live in erosion and flood prone areas could relocate to, in the case of flooding and other natural disaster.
He urged the affected communities to move to the centres before any emergency which may occur without warning.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Tochukwu Obodogha, said the government had intensified drainage clearance, public sensitisation and early warning campaigns in collaboration with NEMA.
Obodogha said the campaigns targeted flood-prone local government areas in the state, including Ayamelum, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Awka North, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Onitsha North and Onitsha South.
An authoritative source at the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 27 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) holding centres had been established across the affected local government areas to provide temporary shelter for residents displaced by flooding.
The Head, Department of Environment and Ecology in the state Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Ijeoma Onyekwelu, said that the rainy season was essential for agriculture, water supply, groundwater recharge and ecological balance.
Onyekwelu lamented that poor environmental practices had continued to worsen flooding across the state.
She identified indiscriminate dumping of refuse, blocked drainage systems, unregulated construction activities and excessive paving of residential compounds as major causes of recurring floods and erosion.
According to her, drains clogged with silt and waste prevent the free flow of water through designated channels, forcing floodwaters into roads, homes and neighbouring communities.
“When drains are blocked with silt and refuse, water leaves its designed course and floods everywhere. This is causing erosion, flooding and other environmental menace,” she said.
The official said the ministry had commenced a statewide desilting exercise to clear drainage channels ahead of the peak of the rainy season, adding that regular maintenance of drains would significantly reduce flood risks.
She also expressed concern over the increasing use of cemented surfaces and interlocking stones in residential compounds, noting that such developments prevented rainwater from infiltrating the soil and increased surface runoff.
Onyekwelu said the Anambra Environmental Management Protection and Administration Law, 2024, required property owners to leave at least 35 per cent of their compounds as bare earth and provide catchment pits for runoff control.
She said the ministry had commenced enforcement of the law to mitigate flooding and protect the environment.
“If everywhere is free, water will flow on its own, no matter the volume. But when we compact our compounds, we increase the menace for everyone,” she said.
She urged residents to stop dumping refuse into waterways and comply with environmental regulations as the rainy season intensified.
Also the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, had called on the federal government to construct dams and dredge rivers across the country to reduce the devastating impact of flooding.
Ibezim said that the state government had strengthened emergency response systems and recorded almost zero mortality from flood disasters through proactive planning, early warning systems and coordinated response.
The Chairman, Onitsha South Local Government area, Mr. Emeka Orji, who started clearing of drainage and evacuation of sand deposits from major roads within the council, said that the exercise was part of efforts to reduce flooding and improve road safety during the rainy season.
The exercise is ongoing on the Uga Junction Express Road in the area.
Ms. Maria Ngu, who was seen clearing the drainage in front of her compound near Nkwo Amaenyi in Awka, stated that it was another method of reducing mosquitoes in the house.
