Floods: ‘Drainage gutters are not waste bins,’ concerned Nigerian laments

A concerned Nigerian by the name Jack Vince has made a post on social media calling on other Nigerians to never treat drainage gutters as waste bins.

According to Vince, some residents of Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria are used to dumping refuse inside drainage gutters, causing flooding to occur when it rains.

In his post, he commended residents of some parts of Jos, who build gutters themselves and maintain them even without government’s assistance. He confessed his love for how they achieve it.

In his words, “I noticed something in some parts of Jos that I love. When people build houses, they construct drainage gutters right in front of their houses.

“For instance, when house A constructs the gutter, house B continues from where A stops, then C, D, E, F and so on do the same. That way, the entire street has a drainage system without government’s assistance.”

Vince’s concerns are coming at a time when many parts of the country are experiencing flash floods due to heavy rains across Nigeria, especially in the North.

A catastrophic flooding struck Borno State, Nigeria on Tuesday, resulting in the collapse of at least eight buildings and widespread displacement across affected communities.

He added: “In Maiduguri, when some people see gutters near their houses, they believe it is free dustbin where they dump refuse until it is blocked.

“My community used to have a complete drainage system but it’s been buried underground since 1993 when soldiers left the area. I’m sure people born 25 years ago in my community have no idea we used to have a functional drainage system.

“It’s sad that heavy downpour leads to flooding, muddy and stagnant water, mosquitos, malaria and even death. Now that climate change is undoubtedly a global problem, it’s high time the people and government, especially, took the construction of drainage system seriously.”

Recently, hundreds of residents were reported dead and missing in Mokwa, Niger State after a heavy flooding that displaced villagers and fell houses in the space of two days.

There has also been reports of deaths in Maiduguri in recent floods, as well as incidents in Adamawa in Yola, and the situation seems to be getting worse year after year due to climate change.

While the cause of flooding isn’t limited to drainage blockages, Vince’s call is one that seeks citizens’ action and sense of responsibility for the health of their own environment and personal safety.