The Cross River Government has commenced massive desilting and opening of major water channels and drainage systems across Calabar metropolis and adjoining communities.
The government, on Saturday, says it is part of efforts to minimise the impact of flooding.
The intervention is coordinated by the Calabar Urban Development Authority (CUDA).
It involves the deployment of a 150-metre swamp buggy to mechanically clear heavily silted flood water channels and improve water flow ahead of the peak of the rainy season.
CUDA’s Executive Secretary, Dr Ayi Effiong, disclosed this during an inspection of ongoing desilting and drainage works at Efut Effio-Ene Community.
Effiong said the community was where Channel 1, one of the city’s major flood channels, discharged into the river.
He said the exercise followed a flood warning issued by the National Emergency Management Agency, which identified Calabar as among the Nigerian cities at risk of flooding in 2026.
‘’Immediately after receiving the warning, I briefed Gov. Bassey Otu, who directed the agency to commence the urgent desilting of critical drainage channels.
“By the grace of God, I was appointed to oversee the urban areas, which include Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Akamkpa and Biase Local Government Areas, ” he said.
Effiong explained that the operation started from 8 Miles area of Calabar and progressed through Channel 1 Main to Ebito areas before the team moved to Efut Effio-Ene.
This, he said, followed the discovery of a major drainage bottleneck.
‘’Runoff from the MCC area and over 40 metres of drainage channels emptied into the location, which residents claim have not been properly desilted for over 15 years.
“We have opened up the drainages; we have completed the desilting and are now constructing a new drainage channel to improve water flow,” he said.
The CUDA boss attributed the recurring flooding in Calabar partly to inadequate drainage infrastructure, noting that many of the facilities were designed when the city’s population was significantly smaller.
He explained that rapid population growth and rural-urban migration had resulted in the expansion of settlements without a corresponding upgrade of drainage infrastructure.
“The planners of the city did not anticipate the level of rural-urban migration caused by population growth.
“New settlements have emerged, but the drainage facilities remain too narrow to accommodate the volume of stormwater. That is why we experience flooding,” he said.
Effiong said CUDA had adopted a two-pronged approach by combining mechanised desilting of major flood channels with manual clearing of smaller drainage systems across the metropolis.
He said a similar intervention was ongoing along Ekpo Abasi area, through Mayne Ave., where slabs and other structures built over drainage channels were removed to restore free flow of stormwater.
He also acknowledged the support of other government agencies in clearing blocked drainage points around the Marian axis of Calabar Municipality.
Effiong assured residents of the government’s commitment to addressing the flooding challenge, saying Otu had directed the agency to restore and maintain critical drainage infrastructure.
“The governor is determined to tackle this challenge.
‘’He has given us a clear mandate, and we are committed to ensuring that residents enjoy the dividends of democracy in a safer and cleaner environment,” he said.
Looking beyond the current rainy season, Effiong said CUDA would begin preparations for 2027 rains as early as March by identifying and opening flood channels before the onset of heavy rainfall.
“By next rainy season, beginning from March, we will commence opening these channels before the rains.
‘’We have identified most of the flood-prone areas, and they will be addressed to significantly reduce flooding in Calabar metropolis,” he said.
He, however, appealed to residents to desist from dumping refuse and other waste materials into drainage channels.
Effiong said that indiscriminate waste disposal could undermine the government’s efforts to build a flood-resilient Calabar.