Health
Questions over Abuja flooding
By Punch Editorial Board
IMAGES of the devastating flooding that swept through parts of the Federal Capital Territory on August 15 were genuinely shocking. Homes and businesses were overwhelmed. Vehicles were submerged, commuters stranded, and some families forced to move to upper floors for safety. In Maitama, Asokoro and Wuse, where residents would ordinarily expect the highest standards of planning and infrastructure, the destruction was sobering.
Thankfully, no loss of life was reported. But the damage, disruption and embarrassment caused by the flooding should not be dismissed as an unavoidable consequence of heavy rainfall or climate change.
The disaster raises fundamental questions about how Abuja is managed and whether the city is prepared for heavy rainfall.
At about 1,575 feet above sea level, Abuja does not have the geographical vulnerability of low-lying coastal cities such as Lagos. But flooding depends not only on topography but also on drainage capacity, the preservation of natural waterways and the ability to cope with intense rainfall.
Blocked drains and canals, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse have been blamed for the flooding. So have major construction projects and buildings linked to residents, including senators, which obstruct natural waterways or drainage corridors.
The flooding was, therefore, not simply an act of nature. Human beings helped create the conditions for the disaster.
The threat by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to demolish buildings obstructing waterways is therefore welcome. But demolition after a disaster is a reaction, not a flood-control strategy. The real test is whether the FCT Administration can prevent such violations from occurring in the first place.
There must be no sacred cows. If houses belonging to powerful individuals, including politicians, have been built illegally on waterways or designated green areas, the law must apply equally. But enforcement must also go beyond demolition. The question must be asked: who granted the approvals, and why were the warning signs ignored?
Abuja was conceived as a carefully planned capital. Its master plan envisaged orderly development and extensive green spaces to balance development and nature.
The experience of Nasir el-Rufai, who served as FCT Minister from 2003 to 2007, shows that determined enforcement can make a difference. His administration demolished hundreds of illegal structures, revoked some undeveloped land allocations and took action against encroachments on green areas and other violations of the Abuja master plan.
Whatever controversies surrounded that period, the principle of enforcing a city’s master plan remains sound. A master plan that exists on paper but is routinely ignored is no plan at all.
The FCT Administration should therefore undertake a comprehensive audit of the capital. Every development along waterways, drainage corridors and flood-prone areas should be removed. Designated green spaces should be protected.
Abuja needs continuous monitoring. Drainage channels must be cleared before the rainy season, not after streets have become rivers. Waste disposal regulations must be enforced rigorously. Residents and businesses must also recognise that throwing refuse into drains can turn a heavy downpour into a disaster.
Nigeria can learn from cities that have effective flood management systems.
The Netherlands, for instance, developed the Delta Works, a vast system of storm-surge barriers, dams and other infrastructure designed to protect vulnerable areas from flooding.
Japan constructed the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel near Tokyo, an extraordinary underground system designed to divert floodwaters away from populated areas.
Singapore combines drainage infrastructure, water storage and the Marina Barrage with sophisticated urban planning. China’s “Sponge City” concept seeks to make urban areas absorb, store and reuse rainwater through permeable surfaces, wetlands, green spaces and other nature-based solutions.
Nigeria should take a leaf from the central lesson from these systems: flood management begins long before the rain falls.
The current development of Abuja’s satellite districts to relieve pressure on the central city is a useful step, but expansion must not simply reproduce the mistakes of the past. New districts must be designed around drainage, green infrastructure and natural waterways. More concrete should not deprive the land of the capacity to absorb rainfall.
The August 15 flooding must not fade from public memory when the streets dry. Other Nigerian cities face similar risks.
Nigeria’s cities should become flood-resistant. Abuja, as the federal capital, has a special responsibility to lead that transformation.
The FCT Administration must restore green areas, protect waterways and enforce building regulations. It must modernise drainage systems, improve waste management and establish continuous monitoring of flood-risk zones. No developer, politician or government official should be above the law.
The flooding of August 15 should never happen again in Abuja — or anywhere else in Nigeria. This will require more than threats after the fact. A modern capital should not wait for floodwaters to expose its weaknesses. It should identify those weaknesses, fix them and prepare before the next rain comes.
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