By Abbas Nazil
The governments of Abia State and Imo State have raised alarm over the worsening impact of gully erosion, which continues to destroy homes, farmlands, infrastructure, and livelihoods across several communities in the South-East region of Nigeria.
Officials from both states say they are intensifying efforts to contain the environmental disaster, which has been linked to severe rainfall patterns, poor drainage systems, and land degradation, while calling for stronger federal intervention to complement state-level responses.
In Abia State, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Sunday Jackson, described the state as one of the worst affected in the country, with active erosion sites spread across all three senatorial zones.
He warned that Abia is among the 33 states identified by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency as being at high risk of flooding this year, noting that increased rainfall could worsen existing erosion sites.
Jackson said the state government under Governor Alex Otti is undertaking remediation projects in areas such as Ossah in Umuahia North, but stressed that the scale of destruction, including displaced families, destroyed farmlands, and damaged infrastructure, exceeds state capacity.
Community leaders in affected areas such as Ozuitem in Bende Local Government Area confirmed that erosion has cut off villages, destroyed water sources, and isolated residents from neighbouring communities despite previous self-help interventions and partial federal support efforts.
In Ohafia Local Government Area, residents also reported that erosion has displaced families, destroyed buildings, and forced people to use unsafe alternative routes, resulting in accidents and increased safety risks.
In neighbouring Imo State, the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mr Major Emenike, said the government is targeting about 15 to 20 high-risk gully sites in its 2026 intervention plan, focusing on areas where erosion threatens roads, markets, and residential communities.
He disclosed that more than 500 active erosion sites have been identified in the state through surveys and collaboration with environmental agencies, with the most severe cases located in Orlu, Ideato, Njaba, Mbaitoli, and Owerri zones.
The commissioner added that the state is working with the federal government and international partners, including the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, to rehabilitate critical sites, including ongoing work at Nekede in Owerri.
Officials also noted that erosion has destroyed major roads, displaced residents, and crippled agricultural activities, with some communities losing access to farmlands and markets for years due to expanding gullies.
The National Emergency Management Agency further warned that the situation is worsening, especially in the Ideato belt, where entire communities have been swallowed by erosion, homes destroyed, and thousands of residents displaced.
Authorities in both states are now calling for urgent engineering solutions, sustained funding, and coordinated intervention from all levels of government to prevent further loss of lives and property as the rainy season approaches.