Flooding: FCTA moves to clear Abuja drains, targets illegal structures

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has launched a city-wide drainage clearance exercise to reduce the risk of flooding following heavy rainfall that caused flash floods in parts of Abuja.

The operation, ordered by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, began along the Airport Expressway, where flooding disrupted movement on Tuesday.

Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, Richard Dauda, who inspected the exercise on Thursday, said the intervention was aimed at improving the capacity of drainage systems to cope with heavy rainfall during the peak of the wet season.

Dauda said the recent flooding was consistent with earlier warnings about intense rainfall and the effects of climate change, but stressed that human activities had worsened the situation.

He explained that the Abuja Master Plan had identified some areas, including sections around the Airport Expressway, as flood plains and that drainage infrastructure had originally been designed to accommodate significant volumes of water.

According to him, indiscriminate dumping of refuse has reduced the effectiveness of the system, as plastic bags, waste and other debris are washed into drains during rainfall and obstruct water outlets.

Dauda also identified illegal construction and vandalism of drainage infrastructure as major contributors to flooding in the capital.

At a major blockage along the expressway, he pointed to a triple-cell box culvert designed to channel water from the Galadima Roundabout.

He said an unnamed private developer had allegedly narrowed the waterway downstream by constructing retaining walls to enlarge a private property.

Dauda said the obstruction had reduced the volume of water the channel could carry, resulting in water detention, backflow and eventual flooding.

He said the affected structures would have to be removed to restore the drainage channel’s discharge capacity.

The FCDA official also raised concerns over the theft of metal covers placed over gully inlets. He said their removal allows large objects and debris to enter underground drainage systems unchecked, increasing the likelihood of blockages.

To prevent further vandalism, Dauda said the authority was considering replacing metal and cast-iron covers with materials that would have little or no value to recyclers.

He said desilting work was already ongoing on trapezoidal drains, U-channels and culvert outlets along the Airport Expressway, while damaged sections would be reconstructed where necessary.

Dauda appealed to residents to support the government’s efforts by keeping drainage channels and waterways free of refuse.

He warned that the effectiveness of Abuja’s flood-control infrastructure would remain limited if residents continued to obstruct waterways through indiscriminate dumping, illegal construction and vandalism.