Environment

NEMA Urges Adherence To Flood Warnings

Published

13 years ago

April 17, 2013

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday in Lagos State warned Nigerians against non-adherence to the 2013 flood warnings.

The Information Officer, South-West Zone of NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, who gave the warning in a statement, said that non-adherence was an invitation to disaster.

Farinloye advised Nigerians to take the forecast seriously by embarking on last minute measures against anything that could worsen the risk of the predicted heavy rain.

“The other tiers of government are closer to the grassroots and they are expected to mobilise the people towards mitigation actions of the fallout of heavy rainfall.”

The NEMA spokesman said that the agency had embarked on an independent exercise to monitor the state of preparedness of stakeholders for the challenges of climate change.

Farinloye said that NEMA had mobilised all critical stakeholders in the three tiers of government, the private sector, individuals and NGOs after the 2013 rainfall prediction.

“In the South/West Geopolitical Zone, the prediction revealed that Saki and Ibadan in Oyo State, Ondo and Akure in Ondo State, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun are expected to experience excessive rainfall,” he said.

He said that local governments were expected to embark on massive mobilisation of residents while the drains and infrastructure that might impede free flow of rainwater had been cleared.

“It was observed that the excessive down pour in Saki and Oke/Ogun in Oyo State, will flow to Ajegunle and Majidun settlements along Ikorodu, Lagos State.

“NEMA’s assessment around these areas especially at Ajegunle revealed that the people are not prepared for the risks as all the drains and water channels are still blocked.

“The whole areas are located in flood plain area while the present road construction is putting hazards on the communities as the creation of craters in some residential areas are worrisome,” he said.

He commended the Ondo State Government for installing flood alarm systems at strategic locations in the state and advised that residents should be sensitised on the significance and the use of the system.

“Lagos State Government has tried in the emergency flood abatement activities but residents should comply with rules by not dumping waste in drains and water channels.’’

Farinloye, however, said that corporate organisations should contribute their quota in risk reduction and reducing the negative impact of predicted excessive rainfall since disasters did not discriminate.

Also the North West Zone of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday in Birnin Kebbi began training its personnel to handle any flooding in the area in the wake of increasing rainfall.

The Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Malam Musa Ilallah, who addressed participants at the training session, said the training comprised of “mitigation and response measures that could assist in flood disaster cases.

He said the measure was also in response to predictions by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) of the expected heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding.

According to Ilallah, “the populace will be guided on preparations for flood” at the training sessions.

The one day training workshop has its theme as “Flood Preparedness and Strengthening Mechanism for Community-based Early Warning System”.

“The public would be enlightened on early warning, on severity of impending disaster, damage to property and loss of lives”.

“The primary targets would be people identified to be residing along flood prone areas as well as what to do during and after rainfall,” he said.

A senior of the agency, Mr Simon Katu, said the agency would collaborate with local government councils, traditional and religious leaders.

The state was among those identified by NIMET that could experience heavy rainfall, leading to flooding resulting in flood.

The state had experienced flooding in the past three years that claimed lives and destroyed farmlands and settlements, among other property.

Environment

Why Buildings Keep Collapsing In Nigeria…. NIOB

Published

3 days ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has attributed the recurring building collapse cases across the country to weak construction laws and failure to hold offenders accountable.

President of the institute, Daniel Kolade, made this known in Abuja at the 2026 Builders Day celebration, themed, “Advocacy and Policy Influence: Towards Sustainable Reforms for a Resilient Built Environment”

He expressed worry that, in spite of concerns over building safety, a key regulatory framework meant to strengthen enforcement within the built environment has remained pending before the National Assembly since 2006.

According to him, the delay has created a situation where those responsible for structural failures often escape punishment.

“Because the enforcement arm of the law is still lying with the National Assembly and has not been passed into law since 2006, the room remains for people to go scot-free when these incidents happen,” Kolade said.

According to Kolade, the lack of consequences encourages negligence on construction sites, as many operators believe little or nothing will happen, even if they violate building regulations.

Kolade cited previous building collapse incidents where, years after the tragedies, no individual had been prosecuted or sanctioned.

“As long as people continue to go free when these things happen, you should expect that it may not stop,” he said.

The NIOB president also said that the growing number of unqualified individuals working on construction sites worsened the problem.

He said it has become common for people without the required training or professional certification to assume technical roles in building projects.

“On most construction sites today, everybody claims to be an engineer, even labourers.

“Without the requisite knowledge and understanding, people just assume roles they are not qualified for,” he said.

Kolade noted that professional builders are regulated by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), which has the authority to register practitioners and discipline erring members.

He explained that builders found guilty of professional misconduct should face sanctions, including the withdrawal of their practicing licences.

However, he said the absence of a strong enforcement mechanism outside professional bodies makes it difficult to prosecute developers or project promoters who violate construction standards.

“In Nigeria, only one major case in Lagos saw the building promoter go down with the incident.

“In many other cases across the country, those responsible have walked free,” he said.

Kolade stressed that the built environment consists of several specialised professionals, each with defined responsibilities, including builders, architects and engineers.

He said the NIOB remained committed to promoting professionalism, ethical standards and quality assurance within the building industry.

March 13 is observed annually as Builders’ Day to create public awareness about the roles of professional builders and the importance of engaging qualified professionals in construction projects.

Environment

Lagos Resumes Monthly Environmental Sanitation April 25

Published

3 days ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

The Lagos State Government has announced the resumption of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, nearly a decade after it was suspended in the state.

Residents are expected to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in front of their homes, and dispose of waste responsibly as part of efforts to improve environmental hygiene and tackle waste management challenges.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on Saturday, disclosed the development in a statement, explaining that the exercise would officially restart later in the year.

“I am pleased to inform all Lagosians that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise will resume effective Saturday, 25th April 2026, holding on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

“During this period, residents are enjoined to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in their frontages, and dispose of waste properly as a civic responsibility.”

Wahab urged residents to view the initiative as a shared duty toward building a healthier city, stressing that the government would ensure strict compliance.

“This exercise is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and flood-resilient Lagos. And it shall be backed with the full enforcement weight of the Lagos State Government,” he said.

Explaining the significance of reintroducing the sanitation culture, the commissioner said the state was returning to a practice that once formed part of Lagosians’ lifestyle.

“Let me formally say this and say it boldly. Mr Governor and his deputy are taking a very audacious step. For those who don’t know, prior to 2016, we had a culture that emphasised cleanliness as next to godliness.

“Once every month, we took our time to clean up our surroundings and then maintain them sparkling. However, for some years, we stopped it.”

He said the absence of the exercise had contributed to mounting environmental pressures in the state.

“Now, waste, debt, and environmental challenges have become an existential challenge to us as a state. It’s taken us over a year to debate, talk, and agree that it’s time to reintroduce a monthly environmental sanitation,” Wahab said.

Appealing to residents for cooperation, he urged Lagosians to dedicate a small portion of their time each month to environmental cleanliness.

“It’s a plea that it is time for us to give up just one or two hours a month. In our marketplaces, every Thursday, we observe environmental cleanliness. But this time, we are saying as a state, let us sit back once a month and observe the cleanliness of our environment as we used to before 2016.”

“The monthly sanitation exercise, previously held on the last Saturday of every month between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the exercise.

The suspension later coincided with growing waste management concerns, including clogged drainage channels and indiscriminate refuse disposal across parts of the state.

Environment

Illegal Buildings On Embassies’ Land Will Be Demolished – Wike

Published

3 days ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has condemned the construction of buildings on land allocated to foreign embassies in the diplomatic zone of Katampe Extension, Abuja, describing them as illegal structures.

Wike spoke on Friday while addressing journalists during an inspection tour of ongoing infrastructure projects across the FCT.

He said the illegal structures would not be allowed to stand and ordered the demolition of the affected buildings.

During the tour, the minister inspected several roads and infrastructure projects, including the route linking Wuse to the Central Area, a road near the Body of Benchers complex, and the Tungan-Madaki road off the airport corridor.

He expressed confidence that many of the projects would be completed in time for the inauguration marking the third anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

On the illegal structures occupying embassy land, Wike said the plots had originally been allocated on March 18, 2008, to various diplomatic missions for residential purposes, but were later seized by an illegal developer who began construction without approval from the Federal Capital Development Authority.

“This land was allocated to various embassies in 2008. Somebody just came here, took the land, and started developing it on their own without approval from the FCDA. We cannot allow this kind of land invasion to continue,” he said.

Wike listed the diplomatic missions affected to include Thailand, Bulgaria, Syria, Somalia, Serbia and Montenegro, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Senegal, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation. A portion of the land had also been reserved for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria for a 132/133KV power station.

The minister said the FCTA had directed the Department of Development Control to demolish all structures on the land and restore it to its original purpose.

“I have told them to bring down every building standing on this land,” he said, adding that the affected embassies would be formally notified to take possession of their allocated plots.

Wike also disclosed that the suspected developer had been arrested and would soon be prosecuted.

“The man has been arrested and he will be charged in court. The police are carrying out their investigation and he will be charged any moment from now,” he said.