By Sandra Kenneth
A town planning expert has identified systemic failure and the long-term neglect of urban master plans as the root causes of the persistent flooding ravaging Port Harcourt and its surrounding communities.
Mr. Edmund Nwokaeze, a lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Rivers State University and Chairman of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Rivers State Branch, made this assertion during an interview with ExceedFm.
A History of Neglect
Nwokaeze revealed that Rivers State has a chronic history of failing to implement its designed structural blueprints. He specifically pointed to the Port Harcourt Master Plan of 1975, noting that decades of abandonment have left the capital city highly vulnerable to environmental hazards.
According to him, the lack of strict enforcement of town planning regulations has allowed critical infractions to thrive unchecked. These violations include:
• The widespread obstruction and blocking of major drainage channels.
• Uncontrolled sand-filling of natural water paths.
• The illegal erection of permanent residential and commercial buildings on designated wetlands.
The expert further explained that these man-made structural failures have been severely compounded by modern pressures, such as rapid urbanisation and climate change, both of which have exponentially increased stormwater volumes.
Shared Responsibility
The ATOPCON Chairman emphasized that the perennial disaster is a result of collective failure.
“Both the government and the residents have contributed to this devastating flooding through their actions and inactions,” Nwokaeze stated. He added that the challenges are entirely manageable, stressing that returning to proper, disciplined urban planning could permanently resolve a significant portion of the crisis.
Call for Proactive Measures
Nwokaeze urged the Rivers State Government to shift from its current approach and make urban planning a core developmental priority.
He advised the state executive to immediately engage town planners and other certified professionals within the built environment to formulate comprehensive short, medium, and long-term frameworks to fix the state’s escalating urban challenges.
“We must end this reactionary approach to disasters that could easily be prevented through proper planning,” Nwokaeze warned, insisting that sustainable government intervention must extend beyond seasonal flood management to address other interconnected infrastructural issues crippling the city.
