Cross River, Akwa Ibom Residents Demand Action on Worsening Erosion

Residents of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states have raised the alarm over worsening erosion and landslide challenges affecting several communities, calling for urgent government intervention.

Cross River has recorded 10 devastating landslides within the Calabar Municipal Council over the past five months, triggered by torrential rainfall in the city. The landslides, which destroyed property worth millions of naira, also claimed lives in Ikot Anwatim, Ikot Effanga, and the "Boro Pit" area of Satellite Town.

Victims Share Their Ordeal

Mr Ubong Edu, a security guard who lost four of his children and his home in the Ikot Anwatim landslide, described life since the disaster as having "turned tremendously sour and tough." He urged government and other stakeholders to sensitise residents on measures they could take to help control erosion and landslides. "Is there nothing we can do as humans to avert this kind of occurrence? We need to be told so that we can play our roles to avoid future occurrence," he said, while commending Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River for supporting his family with N2 million to help them rebuild their lives.

Mrs Itoro Abang, a teacher and another victim of the recent landslide, said she lost all her belongings in the disaster and now requires support to start afresh. "My family did not get any of our property after the landslide; everything was washed away and damaged. We are almost hopeless. I have been homeless since, by sheer grace, I got someone who provided my family with temporary accommodation, I need support to begin a new life," she said.

Cross River Government Responds

The Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), Mr Efa Nyong, described the situation as tragic and unfortunate, noting that the agency had assessed all affected areas and thoroughly documented the resulting damage. He said the government had consoled bereaved families and relocated many who became homeless to safer areas.

"The state government has given money to some victims of landslides and floods, especially those who lost everything and loved ones, this is to enable them to start their lives again. Although this assistance is immediate, the state has also carried out a comprehensive assessment of all the landslides to see how a more concrete help can be rendered to victims," Nyong said, adding that the agency was embarking on a massive sensitisation campaign to caution residents against erecting buildings in valleys and unstable, sloping areas.

"Property developers need to make environmental and safety considerations when selecting locations for buildings. Disaster prevention is very critical. Prolonged and heavy rainfall can weaken and saturate the soil and increase the risk of landslides and other forms of ground failure," he said.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Bassey Mensah, described the landslides as natural occurrences requiring urgent technical intervention to mitigate their effects. He disclosed that the state government had engaged erosion experts to assess recent incidents, particularly the one that split Anansa Road in Obutong Community.

"The experts have recommended the diversion of water from one drainage channel to another to reduce pressure and slow the advancing landslide. Although the remedy for erosion and landslides in the state will require huge funding, immediate efforts are focused on redirecting flood water to prevent additional destruction. In our sensitisation exercises, we have appealed for cooperation from the public as we carry out some prompt interventions while long-term solutions are developed," he said.

Akwa Ibom Communities Under Threat

In Akwa Ibom, several communities in Uyo — including parts of K-Line Ewet Housing Estate, Nkemba Street, Ukana Offot, Abak Road, and Nsikak Eduok Road — remain threatened by erosion. Other affected areas include Ediam Road, Edohoeket Street, Idua Road, Afaha Eket Road, All Weather Road, Ikot Udoma, Mkpok Lane, Eket-Oron Road, and Hospital Road, among others.

Resident Mr Aniedi Edet warned that many parts of Uyo remain at risk, with private facilities and public infrastructure potentially affected if urgent measures are not taken. He urged Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom to intervene quickly to safeguard lives and property. "The way the erosion is going, many facilities will be affected. We must be very watchful to avoid loss of life. We need the government to implement long-term solutions to this issue," he said.

Another resident, Obong James Nsikak, said his business premises face a similar threat, risking his life's entire investment should urgent action not be taken. "We need a lasting solution to this threat. It is disheartening that every rainy season, residents of Uyo live in fear, not sure of what happens the next moment," he said.

Responding, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga, said the state government is taking deliberate steps toward effective erosion control, with steady progress on the Uyo Village Road Erosion Control, Land Reclamation and Bridge Construction project. He explained that the intervention would reclaim about 150 hectares of land, protect nearby public facilities, and open up the area for the planned Uyo Downtown Development.

"This intervention is largely necessitated by the severe erosion menace that has threatened lives, homes and property along that axis. When the governor assumed office, the erosion problem along Udo Inwang Road had become critical, with the ravine consuming several houses, including the residence of the Village Head of Ewet Offot. The governor directed the ministry to tackle the challenge decisively. The intervention eventually gave birth to the development of Arise Palm Resort and the restoration of the surrounding road network," Ibanga said.

Rivers State Also Affected

In Rivers State, several cases of gully and coastal erosion have been reported, particularly in Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, and Oyigbo local government areas, as well as within the Port Harcourt metropolis.

Environmental and human rights activist Mr Celestine Akpobari said the situation in Rivers has worsened significantly over the years, urging governments at all levels to urgently address the growing erosion and flooding crisis in affected communities. He noted that erosion has become a recurring disaster, with local, state, and federal governments having received repeated warnings about its impact on vulnerable communities.

Akpobari expressed particular concern that communities previously considered less vulnerable to erosion are now experiencing severe gully and coastal erosion, citing Bane Community in Khana Local Government Area, where erosion has reportedly destroyed homes and forced residents to abandon buildings. "People are no longer staying in some of the buildings for fear that they could slip and fall into the erosion," he said.

He also raised concerns about erosion near Kira Community along the East-West Road, close to the Federal University of Environment, noting that the erosion had cut off part of the road for more than a month without intervention from any tier of government.

Akpobari called for stronger government intervention and adequate funding for regulatory agencies to collect data and develop appropriate responses to environmental disasters. "The government should equip the regulatory agencies to go round, get data and statistics and determine what can be done to tackle the challenges," he said, while criticising what he described as insufficient government attention to the crisis. "The unfortunate thing is that there is zero attention from local, state and federal governments in addressing the disaster. I am worried, sad and angry that these sorts of things are still happening, while government seems more concerned about the next election," he said, adding that affected residents should be relocated to safer areas with government-provided shelter and welfare support.

Experts Call for Policy Reform

Environmental expert Mr Henry Eferegbo urged government to align development policy formulation and implementation with the realities of environmental and climate change. He called for collaboration with certified urban planners, surveyors, and environmentalists to ensure proper drainage connectivity for effective rainwater evacuation. "The government should adequately deploy Geographical Information Systems (GIS) before embarking on construction works," he said, further urging state governments to formulate policies prohibiting deforestation and conserving delicate forest habitats such as wetlands. "Unregulated deforestation can lead to erosion, flooding and landslide. Indiscriminate land reclamation and use of dynamite by crude oil miners should be prohibited," he added.

Responding on behalf of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Managing Director Miss Usoro Akpabio expressed concern over the loss of life and property across the region due to erosion and landslides. She explained that an SSDC team had inspected several erosion and landslide sites in Cross River to assess the scale of the disasters and the challenges facing affected communities, adding that the commission would continue exploring possible interventions to bring relief and support to the affected areas.

Analysts note that despite significant annual budgetary allocations for erosion control, state governments continue to face mounting questions over disaster preparedness, arguing that the worsening erosion and landslide crisis has exposed years of neglected interventions and inconsistent spending on environmental projects.

Environmental experts describe erosion as the gradual wearing away of the topsoil layer — either by water flow or wind — often removing only a few tenths of an inch over days or weeks. However, they note that flooding can create a large gully within minutes, rapidly eroding soil and depositing it downstream in massive quantities.