Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has declared a state of emergency on the environment, saying the state lacks the financial capacity to tackle an erosion crisis affecting more than 30 percent of its landmass.
Soludo said dedicating the state’s entire budget to ecological remediation would still be insufficient to address the scale of the environmental challenge.
The governor made this known on Thursday during a live broadcast at the Light House in Awka to mark the 35th anniversary of the creation of Anambra State.
The anniversary was themed “Our Environment, Our Future, A Call for Personal Responsibility” and featured the inauguration of a renewed Clean and Green initiative aimed at transforming the state into a clean, planned, and sustainable habitat.
Soludo described environmental degradation as Anambra’s “number one existential threat”, saying the crisis required urgent and collective action.
He noted that while his administration had made significant progress in addressing insecurity, environmental degradation remained a major challenge requiring immediate attention.
According to him, about 98 percent of the environmental degradation in the state was caused by human activities.
“Anambra is the gully erosion capital of Africa, if not the world. More than 30 percent of our total landmass has already been eroded.
“Even if we dedicate the entire state budget to ecological remediation, it will still not be enough to address the magnitude of the problem,” he said.
The governor listed Nanka, Oko, Amaokpala, Ozubulu, Ogidi, Nkpor, parts of Onitsha and Nnewi among the communities severely affected by erosion, resulting in the destruction of homes, roads and farmlands.
He attributed part of the problem to the state’s porous soil but said human activities had significantly accelerated environmental degradation over the years.
Soludo said available data suggested that the crisis had accumulated over 60 years, driven by blocked drainage channels, unauthorized construction on waterways, uncontrolled runoff and reckless excavation of soil without environmental impact assessments.
He identified farming on vulnerable slopes as contributing 20 percent to the crisis, deforestation 13 percent and indiscriminate sand mining nine percent.
The governor acknowledged the efforts of previous administrations to address the environmental challenges, noting that his administration had introduced structural measures to tackle the problem.
He said the measures included opening drainage channels, mainstreaming environmental standards and prohibiting the construction of roads without proper drainage terminations.
Soludo said the state was shifting from a reactive, government-led approach to a proactive, community-driven one.
He said traditional rulers, town unions, churches, schools and markets would be expected to mobilize residents to take ownership of their environment.
Under the new directives, the governor said all 179 communities in the state would be required to undertake daily desilting of drainage channels, while the blockage of waterways would be treated as an offense with the support of traditional institutions.
He also directed every household to maintain a waste bin, control runoff within private compounds and desist from constructing buildings on waterways.
Soludo added that physical planning and environmental education would be integrated into civic education curricula.
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“I urge residents to embrace tree planting and other measures that will promote a greener and healthier environment.
“Use the 35th anniversary of the state to reflect on the legacy inherited from previous generations and take collective responsibility for securing a viable, green and sustainable Anambra for future generations,” he said.
