Governor Soludo declares an environmental emergency in Anambra

By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D

Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has declared a state of emergency on environmental deterioration in Anambra State. The Governor had outlined the environment as the 5th pillar of the Solution Agenda in The People’s Manifesto, with a clear concern that Anambra’s number one existential crisis is the environment. The premium on the environment by the Government of Anambra State finds expression in the fact that the state has over one thousand active erosion sites across its relatively small landscape, pointing to the urgency to reclaim the environment.

With increased weather changes leading to intense rainfall and flooding in different parts of Nigeria and elsewhere, among other environmental problems, Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has taken some proactive measures designed for Ndi Anambra to take back their environment.

As part of these measures, on Saturday, July 4, 2026, the government has declared a state-wide desilting of drains and general environmental action to create awareness and also encourage the people to commit to a healthy and safe attitude towards the environment. As a result of this, the government has announced a restriction of non-essential movement from 6; 00 am to 10; 00 am on Saturday, July 4. This is to ensure that the desilting activities get all the necessary attention to forestall flooding arising from blocked drainage.

Reacting to this, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, pointed to a number of issues troubling the environment in Anambra State. However, he insists that this is not a time for blame, but a time to take collective action to save and preserve our environment. “We all have a role to play. This is not a time for blame,” Dr. Aguiyi said.

Speaking about the emergency declared by the Governor, Dr. Aguiyi reiterated that it is a call to action. “The emergency declared on the environment in Anambra State by Mr. Governor is a call to action to protect what remains of our tiny landmass. About 30% of our land is encumbered by erosion, and it’s expanding. There are natural factors to this, but there are human factors which call for behavioural change,” the Commissioner for Environment explained.

On Saturday, the first four points in reclaiming the environment include desilting all drainage and secondly, the evacuation of all waste. It also includes mobilizing communities and waste managers to engage in a clean-up exercise across the 21 LGAs in Anambra State, and finally, it will involve the removal or notice of removal of structures erected on waterways.