Imo State Residents in Nigeria Demand Action Against Erosion — Premium Times Nigeria
Residents of erosion-affected areas in Nigeria’s Imo State have called on the authorities to intervene urgently to stop the loss of land and property. As Premium Times Nigeria reports, erosion has already damaged farmland, residential buildings and markets in communities within the Orlu, Obowo, Ezinihitte and Mbaitoli local government areas.
Residents of Ehime-Mbano, Ezinihitte and Mbieri said they have yet to receive effective assistance, although their communities have been repeatedly visited by representatives of government agencies, including Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ministry of Environment.
Flooded roads and abandoned fields
In the Amaimo-Umukabia and Umunumo communities in Ehime-Mbano, floods have made many roads impassable. Umunumo resident Ikechukwu Ohegbu said that some fields had to be abandoned because of erosion. According to him, the situation worsened due to heavy rains this year.
In the Umuoba community in the Owerri-North area, erosion washed away roads and forced traders to leave the Umuoba market, according to local resident Kelechi Azubuike. He noted that at the height of the rainy season, vehicles do not dare enter the area, while flooding complicates the delivery of goods to the market. Residents, he said, are considering moving to safer places.
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Greatest threats in Orlu and Obowo
An Imo State Ministry of Environment employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the authorities are aware of the problem and have already introduced certain measures to limit further destruction. He described the situation in Orlu as the most difficult: in the Uhuala-Obibi-Ochasi community, a gully measuring two kilometres long, 75 metres deep and 100 metres wide has formed. According to him, the gully has swallowed several homes and forced many families to leave their residences.
At least ten communities in the Obowo area are also under serious threat from gullies. Other affected areas include Umueze-Obazu-Mbieri in Mbaitoli, Umunumo-Ibeafor in Ehime-Mbano and parts of Ikeduru.
NEMA representative Samuel Iwuala said the agency had received several appeals from affected communities and visited two major sites in the Ideato-North and Ngor-Okpala areas in 2025. In 2026, the agency also assessed an erosion site in Umukabia and is awaiting further instructions on providing assistance to the community.
Meanwhile, residents of the Umuguma community in Owerri-West thanked the state authorities for redirecting water flows, which, they said, contained the spread of erosion. The Orlu-Akokwa road, previously severely damaged by erosion, has also been repaired.
