Flooding: FCTA reviews 47-yr old Master Plan, blames scavengers, ageing infrastructure

Abuja is grappling with recurrent flooding, prompting the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to review the city's 1979 Master Plan. Officials cite scavengers stealing drainage covers and aging infrastructure unable to cope with rapid urban expansion as primary causes for the persistent issue.

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was another reminder of the seasonal reality of a rapidly expanding city with drainage infrastructure, waste management and enforcement of planning rules not keeping pace with growth.

Lere Olayinka, a senior aide to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, stated that the recent flooding was a "reminder of the seasonal reality of a rapidly expanding city." He highlighted that waste management and enforcement of planning rules have not kept pace with the city's growth. Olayinka also pointed to the damage caused by scavengers who regularly steal drainage covers, leaving them exposed to refuse and exacerbating the flooding problem.

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is also a pointer to damages being caused by scavengers who are daily stealing drainage covers, thereby exposing the drainage to refuse.

To combat this, the FCTA is revising the master plan to "accommodate the new realities of the capital city." They are also installing drainage covers designed to be more difficult for scavengers to remove. Olayinka emphasized that flooding is not a new problem for Abuja, recalling similar incidents in 2019 and 2022 that affected areas like Wuse, Jabi, Lokogoma, and Efab Estate.

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To address this, the FCTA is already reviewing the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to accommodate the new realities of the capital city.

The statement also served as a response to criticisms from Abuja-based lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who had linked the recent flooding to the Wike administration. Olayinka questioned Adeyanju's attribution, asking if Wike was responsible for floods in 2019. He criticized Adeyanju as an "Online Baseless Lawyer" seeking attention and alleged that others were joining him in finding fault with Wike. Olayinka also brought up Adeyanju's past defense of a land use contravention, questioning his understanding of urban planning.

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Sad reality is that Abuja has been witnessing floods long before Wike assumed office.