Bauchi targets 20 LGAs in second phase of drainage clearing

The Bauchi state government says it is intensifying efforts to clear blocked drainages and reduce the impact of heavy rainfall on vulnerable communities.

Mahamood Mohammed Bose, director-general of the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), said the state would begin a fresh round of desilting across all 20 local government areas on Saturday.

Speaking to on Friday, Bose said the exercise is part of ongoing flood-prevention measures as the rainy season peaks.

“In the past two or three months, if there’s anything we’ve been doing consistently, it is this issue of community desilting,” he said.

“We have been organising desilting exercises in most of the communities. And even tomorrow, we are going to flag off desilting of drainages in all the 20 LGAs of the state. This is not the beginning — we are continuing what we started months ago.”

He said BASEPA had earlier carried out a special operation along major roads in Bauchi metropolis to remove debris and open up water channels.

The operation involved clearing cross culverts and drainages to ensure free water flow within the city.

The agency, he added, has been working closely with residents to carry out the work at the community level.

“We also did a round of desilting before the rainy season began, because once the rains start, nobody can control what water brings. At that point, water can carry debris from anywhere and block drainages again,” Bose said.

He described the current campaign as a second phase of the state’s flood control plan.

Experts have long warned that Nigeria’s vulnerability to flooding is driven by poor urban planning, clogged drainages, construction on floodplains, and climate change.

In April, the federal government released its 2025 Annual Flood Outlook, predicting significant flood risks across the country and outlining new risk management strategies.

In 2023, floods affected over 1.3 million people in 34 states and claimed at least 320 lives. Earlier this year, heavy rains in Niger state led to flash floods that killed at least 110 people, according to official figures.

Bose said proactive intervention at the state level remains essential to reducing casualties and damage.