Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has discovered a structure erected on a drainage area in Maitama, Abuja, despite the revocation of the plot more than a decade ago.
Wike made the discovery on Tuesday while inspecting locations affected by the weekend flooding that followed heavy rainfall across parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister, accompanied by officials of the FCT Administration, visited the affected areas to assess the extent of the flooding and examine possible factors responsible for the accumulation of water in parts of the capital.
At one of the locations, officials drew Wike’s attention to a drainage area where a structure had been constructed on a plot revoked by the FCT Administration in 2011.
The minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, disclosed the development in a post on X accompanied by video footage of the inspection.
Olayinka said the area had originally been allocated but was subsequently revoked because of overriding public interest.
“The spot here is a drainage area. It was allocated, but revoked in 2011. Structure was built on it,” he said.
A sign displayed at the location warned against development on the site and identified it as Plot 4508 A06. It stated that the plot had been revoked on December 22, 2011, on the grounds of overriding public interest.
The discovery comes days after torrential rainfall triggered flooding in several parts of Abuja, including Maitama, prompting renewed concerns about the state of drainage infrastructure and compliance with the FCT’s physical planning regulations.
The flooding has also generated controversy, with some residents and commentators attributing the situation to blocked waterways, unregulated construction and inadequate drainage facilities.
The FCT Administration, however, has maintained that flooding is not a new phenomenon in Abuja and cannot be solely attributed to the current administration.
Olayinka had, in a statement on Monday, cited previous incidents of flooding in parts of the capital, including Wuse, Jabi and Lokogoma in 2019, as well as Lokogoma, Efab Estate and Gudu in 2022.
He said the rapid expansion of Abuja had placed pressure on existing infrastructure, particularly drainage and waste management systems.
According to him, the FCT Administration is also dealing with the consequences of poor compliance with planning regulations and the removal of drainage covers by scavengers, which allows refuse to enter and obstruct waterways.
Olayinka said the administration was taking measures to address the problem, including a review of the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to bring it in line with the capital’s current population and physical development.
He added that new drainage covers were being installed with designs intended to make them more difficult to remove.
The inspection by Wike is expected to intensify attention on developments around designated waterways and drainage corridors, particularly where construction may have compromised the city’s ability to effectively channel stormwater.
