Governor Soludo declares state of emergency on environment as Anambra marks 35th anniversary
By Sunny A. David, Awka
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has declared a state of emergency on the environment, warning that the growing challenges of gully erosion, flooding and land degradation pose a serious threat to the future of the state.
Soludo made the declaration in a statewide broadcast in Awka to commemorate Anambra’s 35th anniversary, while announcing a renewed Clean and Green Initiative designed to strengthen environmental protection through greater community participation and individual responsibility.
The governor said his administration had recorded significant progress in tackling insecurity since assuming office, but described environmental degradation as the state’s “number one existential threat.”
According to him, the scale of the environmental crisis has gone beyond what government alone can effectively address, particularly as human activities continue to worsen the effects of changing weather patterns and extreme rainfall.
Soludo described Anambra as the “gully erosion capital of Africa, if not the world,” noting that more than 30 per cent of the state’s landmass had reportedly been affected by erosion.
He stressed that the financial resources required to tackle the problem were beyond the capacity of the state government, explaining that even committing the entire state budget to ecological remediation would not be enough to address the extent of the damage.
The governor listed Nanka, Oko, Amaokpala, Ozubulu, Ogidi and Nkpor, alongside parts of Onitsha and Nnewi, among areas facing serious environmental challenges, with homes, roads and farmlands threatened by expanding erosion gullies.
He attributed the crisis to decades of accumulated environmental pressure, identifying blocked drainage channels, construction on waterways, uncontrolled storm-water runoff and indiscriminate soil excavation without adequate environmental assessments as major causes.
Other factors, he said, include farming on vulnerable slopes, deforestation and indiscriminate sand mining, all of which have contributed significantly to land degradation across the state.
While acknowledging environmental interventions undertaken by previous administrations, Soludo said the situation now required a fundamental change from a largely government-driven response to a grassroots approach involving communities, households and institutions.
“We are moving from a reactive, government-dominated approach to a proactive, grassroots response,” the governor said.
Under the new measures, all 179 communities in Anambra will be expected to carry out daily desilting of drainage channels. The obstruction of waterways will also be treated as an offence, with traditional institutions expected to assist in enforcing the directive.
Households will equally be required to maintain proper waste bins, control storm-water runoff within their compounds and avoid construction activities on waterways.
The governor further announced plans to strengthen physical planning regulations and environmental standards, while environmental education will be incorporated into civic education.
He urged residents to embrace tree planting and report environmental violations, using the campaign slogan, “If you see something, say something.”
Traditional rulers, town unions, churches, schools, markets and other community institutions are also expected to mobilise residents and support the implementation of the new environmental measures.
The declaration comes amid increasing concerns over flooding, erosion, rapid urbanisation and inadequate drainage infrastructure across Nigeria, particularly in the South-East.
Gully erosion remains a major threat to communities in the region, destroying homes, roads, agricultural land and other critical infrastructure while putting livelihoods and economic activities at risk.
Soludo’s declaration therefore underscores the growing need for coordinated efforts involving government, communities and individuals to address environmental degradation and protect Anambra’s land and infrastructure.
