By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has attributed the recurring flash floods impacting parts of the nation’s capital to years of widespread illegal development along natural drainage corridors, exacerbated by global climate change.

Speaking during a media chat on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the minister disclosed that systemic regulatory compromises contributed significantly to the ecological crisis currently facing residents of the territory.

Wike emphasized that human disregard for urban master plans and official building regulations remains the primary driver behind the severe waterlogging recorded in several Abuja districts during recent heavy downpours.

“The floods in Abuja today are a result of people building on waterways in Abuja illegally over the years,” the minister stated while addressing journalists.

He explained that developers routinely encroached upon critical floodplains and natural water channels, obstructing the free flow of stormwater across the capital.

In addition to illegal physical structures, Wike pointed to global environmental shifts as a major compounding factor amplifying the frequency and intensity of local rainstorms.

“Climate change is also responsible for the flooding being experienced recently in Abuja,” he added, noting that changing weather patterns have overwhelmed existing municipal drainage capacities.

Addressing the internal administrative lapses that enabled these illegal structures to proliferate, the minister revealed that decisive disciplinary action has already commenced within the territory’s urban planning bureaucracy.

He disclosed that the FCT Administration (FCTA) has officially suspended a senior official in the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) for facilitating unlawful construction projects.

“We suspended a director in the FCDA who was illegally giving building approvals to build on waterways,” Wike stated, signaling a firm stance against official corruption and negligence.

The suspension reflects an ongoing internal crackdown aimed at holding government officials accountable for issuing fraudulent building permits that compromise public safety.

To permanently address the threat, the FCTA is conducting comprehensive assessments to identify and target all structures currently obstructing natural waterways across the territory.

The administration has reiterated its commitment to enforcing the Abuja Master Plan through the systematic demolition of illegal structures and the restoration of natural flood paths to protect lives and property.