Uyo Residents Block Road in Protest Over Flooding

Several communities in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, were flooded on Thursday after heavy rain damaged homes, property, and livestock. This made residents block a major highway in protest.

The flooding hit areas like Nkemba and nearby streets, Abak Road, Ukana Offot, Port Harcourt Street, Tabernacle Road and nearby streets, Osongama, and Nsikak Eduok Avenue.

The rain started on Wednesday evening, calmed briefly at night, then returned heavily early Thursday morning before easing later in the day.

Angry residents from Tabernacle Road blocked the busy Ikot Ekpene Road. This road connects Akwa Ibom with Abia and Cross River states. The protesters claimed the state government has ignored their plight. They blamed the delay in finishing the Tabernacle Road project for the worsening flooding.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that floodwaters entered their homes, ruining belongings and killing animals. Udeme Ubong, a local resident, said the flooding has become unbearable after years of stalled road construction.

“For eight years now, we have suffered like slaves in our own state. We park our vehicles elsewhere because of flooding. Anytime it rains heavily, water enters our homes and destroys our property.

“Last year this time, I lost 462 chickens to flooding. Today many of my belongings have again been destroyed and my family may have to look for somewhere else to sleep.

“This is happening because the government is not serious about fixing this road. Even after all these years, no government official has visited us or provided any relief. We cannot continue like this. If nothing is done, we will march to Government House,” he said.

Residents of Nkemba also pointed fingers at years of poor drainage maintenance. They said the flood led to the death of one person and sent two others to the hospital.

They claimed that when the government directed stormwater into the area’s main drainage channel, they promised to clear silt from it every year but have failed to keep that promise.

According to them, runoff from nearby communities flows into the Nkemba drainage channel before reaching a ravine. Years of silt buildup have greatly reduced its capacity. In June, PREMIUM TIMES found that large parts of the drainage corridor around Nkemba were already heavily silted before the rainy season peaked.

Videos Show Serious Flooding
Videos shared by ADBN TV showed homes along Abak Road, Nkemba, Ukana Offot, and Port Harcourt Street flooded. The footage showed many houses submerged, while a dead goat was seen carried by a protester after residents said it had died in the flood.

The flooding has brought back attention to the delayed 2.2-kilometre Tabernacle Road project and its 0.97-kilometre underground drain affecting Uyo and Itu Local Government Areas. The project was first awarded in 2018 under former Governor Udom Emmanuel to Zastros Engineering Construction Company.

Residents said that the contractor dug drains, put down laterite, and then abandoned the project after about seven months, leaving the road in worse shape. From 2019 to 2023, the project barely moved forward even after residents complained multiple times.

Governor Umo Eno’s administration gave the contract to Nsik Construction in February 2024. Still, progress has been slow. In a media briefing in May, Mr Eno said the contract would be terminated by July if the contractor did not finish the project.

“The road was awarded to my own townsman, Nsik Motors. I met him as a contractor. A good one at that. He bidded for the job and won,” the governor said when asked about the delay.

The flooding also raises concerns about flood-control projects despite significant budget money allocated for them. Analysis by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the Akwa Ibom State Government set aside N2.5 billion in the 2026 budget for "drainages, canal desilting and flood control in Uyo metropolis and surroundings." This will be carried out by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA).

The government also budgeted N20.03 million for the Akwa Ibom State Road Maintenance Agency to remove debris from drainage channels to stop flooding in Uyo. The Tabernacle Road project has also received significant funding under the current administration, with N1.58 billion allocated in 2023, N1 billion in 2024, and N3 billion in 2025.

The state’s 2024 Budget Performance Report showed that N646.97 billion was spent between January and September 2024. However, the report did not detail project-level spending. The state has not released a full budget performance report for 2025.

Akwa Ibom has enough funds in the 2026 fiscal year. Earlier this year, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the state had N397.51 billion available for spending in the first quarter of 2026, showing the state’s strong financial position.

This newspaper also recently reported the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s warning of above-normal rainfall and increased flood risk in many parts of the country, including Akwa Ibom.

Government's Response
The Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, said the government knows about the flooding caused by the long rainfall.

“The government is aware of the stormwater flooding caused by over seven hours of rainfall from last night into this morning,” Mr Umanah told PREMIUM TIMES.

He said Governor Eno directed contractors to go into badly affected areas to do immediate work to help water flow better. He added that the State Emergency Management Agency, the Ministry of Environment, and AKSEPWMA have been sent to check affected communities and decide on immediate action.

Mr Umanah also blamed the blockage of drainage channels for worsening flooding.

“NIMET warned about heavy rainfall, and it has affected many states. Blocking drainage lines has made it worse. Anyone caught blocking drains will face consequences,” he said.

He added that desilting drains is done regularly and will continue based on government schedules. When asked if affected residents would get compensation or emergency aid, Mr Umanah said the government must first identify and assess those affected before any help is given.

On the future of the delayed Tabernacle Road contract, the commissioner said reports from the Ministry of Works showed that Nsik Construction has increased work on the project.

In response to questions from PREMIUM TIMES, the Chairman of AKSEPWMA, Prince Ikim, said the N2.5 billion in the 2026 budget for drainage, canal desilting, and flood control should not be seen as money already in the agency's hands.

“There is a difference between budget provisions, approval, and release,” he said.

When asked if any part of the allocation had been given to his agency, Mr Ikim did not give a straight answer. Instead, he mentioned that major drainage projects are being overseen by two different government committees.

“There is a committee set up to handle major drainages. As I am talking to you, there are two different committees. One is headed by the Commissioner for Works and the other by the deputy governor,” he said.

Mr Ikim added that large desilting operations are not directly under his control. Responding to claims from residents that the government has not kept the promise to desilt the Nkemba drainage channel every year, the AKSEPWMA chairman said he oversaw desilting work in the area before.

“I personally undertook the desilting of the Nkemba trough sometime ago, including areas around Abak Road and Nkemba,” he said. He, however, mentioned he was unaware of any formal agreement to commit the government to annual desilting of the drainage channel.