BREAKING: Letter to Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri, the council Chairman of Gwagwalada Area council.

Nuesa press has alerted the Gwagwalada area council chairman Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri, about an impending flooding this year in Gwagwalada area council which harbour not only the mini campus of the UofA but also the 47% of the students living off campus. 

Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri 

"The stake is higher this year and we all can not just sit and watch our environment and properties destroyed because despite previous experience and warnings from the relevant authorities, Lagos state government and Oyo state government has been caught unprepared for the annual devastating rains and floods".

The student leader,made this call while reacting to the bold steps the students of UofA has taken in response to his patriotic call, "IT BEGINS WITH ME CAMPAIGN". A call to action for both the entire students populace and her environs and prevent the looming danger of flood and also sustain our environment.

Unlike some natural disasters, rainfall flooding can be controlled with proper planning and provision of necessary infrastructure. Gwagwalada’s flooding is mainly human induced with poor urban planning practices and inadequate environmental infrastructure being contributing factors.

 

In 2012, Nigeria’s total losses to flood were put at US$16.9 billion,vis-à-vis, flooding has had a major impact on our country’s development goals in relation to the social, economic and environmental targets.

Nigeria’s flooding is mostly human induced and exacerbated by human-nature interactions. Poor maintenance or non-existent drainage systems are a major cause of flooding in UofA's students quarters which cuts across 47% of the residential area in Gwagwalada Area council.

Many students residential areas have no drainage system expecially Giri, and rely on natural drainage channels. Increasing urbanisation also means more areas are built with concrete and cannot absorb water, increasing runoff.

Poor waste management is another recognised factor. Citizens’ and shops in Gwagwalada's poor attitude to waste disposal and non-provision of waste disposal services by area council contributes to flooding. It is not uncommon to have drains blocked by refuse in urban areas.

Some concerned students who live in Iddo and Giri also capitalise on the loophole of ineffective development control,how some landlords extend their buildings over the unapproved areas. Sometimes they go as far as building over drains.

What is missing is appropriate action to mitigate the flooding. Currently, there is no flood management policy in these students dominated areas. The lack of relevant legal and policy frameworks is an indication of the low importance given to controlling and managing flooding in these areas.

Integration of flood risk management with spatial planning is the way to go.

Historically, Gwagwalada has been more focused on post-disaster flood response than control. Reducing and addressing exposure to flood risk is now a national priority in the Nigerian government’s disaster risk management agenda.

However, nothing concrete has been achieved. This is not encouraging despite the comprehensive post-disaster needs assessment conducted in 2012 by the federal government with international collaboration.

This raises questions on the political will to achieve this goal.

The government is not lacking research institutions and agencies with the skills to design a flood risk management strategy. For instance, the "IT BEGINS WITH ME CAMPAIGN" started by the students of the UofA has gone a long way in bringing peace to our environment. 

Vis-à-vis, a collaboration with the students to sensitise the Gwagwalada area council populace on this journey to a free flooding year will go a long way in addressing this challenge severally. 

Sustainable urban planning and green infrastructure could also be combined with information and communication technology tools. Citizens can use these to communicate with the relevant authorities at the onset of flooding.

Addressing our area's annual flooding is important for the country to make progress. The human-induced causes of flooding should be addressed urgently. Not doing this will delay our journey to sustainable development. 

So,let the "IT BEGINS WITH ME CAMPAIGN " Be preached across the area council, for a greener environment.“It's a good idea we make hay while the sun shines now" Comr. Ifesinachi Donald concluded.