As communities continue to grapple with perennial flooding, questions are being raised about whether the recently announced two-day nationwide cleaning exercise represents a meaningful intervention or simply a symbolic political gesture.
For years, heavy rains have exposed weaknesses in drainage systems, poor waste management practices, and rapid urban development without adequate planning. Homes and businesses have been destroyed, lives have been lost, and thousands of residents have been displaced. Despite repeated promises and periodic clean-up campaigns, flooding remains a recurring challenge in many parts of the country.
The two-day cleaning exercise aims to clear choked drains, remove refuse from public spaces, and encourage citizens to participate in maintaining a cleaner environment. Government officials have described the initiative as part of broader efforts to reduce flood risks and improve sanitation.
However, some residents, environmental experts, and civil society groups argue that while community clean-up exercises are valuable, they cannot, on their own, resolve a problem rooted in inadequate drainage infrastructure, weak enforcement of planning regulations, indiscriminate waste disposal, and encroachment on waterways. They contend that lasting solutions require sustained investment in drainage expansion, regular desilting of gutters, stricter building controls, effective waste collection systems, and continuous public education.
Others believe the exercise could serve as an important first step if it is followed by long-term policies, consistent maintenance, and accountability from both public authorities and citizens. They note that preventing floods requires shared responsibility, with government providing infrastructure and enforcement while communities play their part in keeping drains free of waste.
As another rainy season unfolds, the effectiveness of the two-day cleaning exercise will ultimately be judged not by the volume of waste collected over a weekend, but by whether it forms part of a sustained national strategy to address the underlying causes of flooding. Until comprehensive measures are implemented and maintained, many citizens are likely to remain skeptical, viewing periodic clean-up campaigns as temporary responses to a persistent national challenge.
Story by: Alexander Kukah
