The senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has attributed the recurring flooding in Abuja partly to construction on green areas, flood channels and floodplains, saying such developments have obstructed natural waterways and increased the city’s flood risk.
Kingibe made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Arise News, where she raised concerns over what she described as increasing departures from Abuja’s original master plan.
The lawmaker said she had repeatedly written to relevant FCT agencies, including the Development Control Department, Abuja Environmental Protection Board and the Federal Capital Development Authority, over construction activities on areas designated for drainage and flood control.
According to her, some developments approved under the current FCT administration were contributing to the worsening flooding situation.
“Most definitely. Some of the development approved under the current FCT administration is actually increasing Abuja’s flood risk,” she said.
Kingibe cited several areas where she alleged that flood channels and green spaces had been built on or obstructed.
She specifically mentioned Wuse Zone 6, where she said a residential development was being constructed around a sewage line, describing the situation as both an environmental and health concern.
The senator also cited parts of Asokoro, where she alleged that a flood channel had been built on, as well as Jabi Park and an area around the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre where she said a deep gully had been fenced off.
She explained that Abuja’s rocky terrain makes proper drainage particularly important, as rainwater flows rapidly through the city.
“When the water starts coming down, there’s nowhere for them to flow into because all their paths are closed,” Kingibe said, adding that some existing flood channels had also become too narrow to accommodate heavy rainfall.
She argued that development should not be permitted indiscriminately in a city designed around a specific master plan.
“You can’t construct on every space in a city, especially since the city had a master plan that totally contradicts that,” she said.
Kingibe said her concerns were not politically motivated and predated her disagreement with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
She disclosed that she had raised concerns about the protection of Abuja’s green areas and the potential for flooding as far back as December, adding that she had also approached officials of the Development Control Department when she first became a senator.
“It’s not personal to the minister,” she said.
The senator, however, acknowledged that flooding in Abuja did not begin under the current FCT administration.
According to her, successive administrations had contributed to the problem, but she maintained that the situation had been significantly worsened over the past three to four years.
“Obviously, yes, there was a problem. It didn’t start with him, but he has definitely exacerbated that problem immensely,” Kingibe stated.
She also called for improved maintenance of drainage infrastructure, particularly the regular removal of refuse and other materials capable of blocking waterways during heavy rainfall.
Kingibe stressed that addressing Abuja’s flooding would require stronger enforcement of planning regulations and protection of the city’s designated green areas, floodplains and drainage channels.