Residents of the Federal Capital Territory have criticized FCT Minister Nyesom Wike after heavy rainfall submerged roads and parts of several districts in Abuja, leaving motorists stranded and vehicles trapped in floodwater.
Videos circulating on social media showed extensive flooding in parts of Wuse 2, including Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, the bridge near City Park and a nearby plaza. Several vehicles were seen partially or completely submerged as floodwater covered sections of the roads.
Reports also indicate that Wuse Zone 1, Katampe, Durumi, Gwarinpa, Gaduwa and Gudu were among areas affected by the downpour.
The flooding disrupted movement across parts of the capital, with motorists and residents reportedly forced to wait for water levels to recede before roads became passable.
The situation has renewed concerns over Abuja’s drainage infrastructure, urban development and adherence to the city’s planning framework.
The incident has also triggered a fresh debate over the Abuja Master Plan, with some residents accusing the FCT Administration of allowing developments that have compromised drainage channels, waterways and green areas.
One X user, Chude, described the flooding as a departure from Abuja’s original planning vision, arguing that the city was designed as a planned capital with provisions for drainage, waterways and green spaces.
“Abuja is sinking,” the user wrote, alleging that major drainages had become blocked and that waterways and green areas had been compromised by development. The user listed Katampe, Wuse, Garki, Lugbe and Galadimawa among areas experiencing flooding.
Another X user, Everest, blamed the situation on what he described as the erosion of Abuja’s planning standards under the current administration.
“Abuja had a master plan until Obio-Akpor Hitler and his boys entered the city. Now, there is flooding everywhere,” he wrote.
Mohammed Jummal said the scale of the flooding was particularly concerning because, according to him, water was reaching areas that had not previously experienced flooding at such intensity.
“The flooding in Abuja should be a serious concern for all of us,” he wrote. “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen it this bad, especially with flooding now occurring in areas where we’ve never experienced it before.”
Theo Abu Agada also criticized the administration, linking the flooding to allegations that green areas had been converted for development.
“We have been complaining about Wike selling our green areas to developers, and some people here say we were hating on him,” Agada wrote.
Also Read: NEC approves N83.21bn to tackle flooding, climate issues
However, official planning records show that flooding in Abuja has long been associated with a combination of factors, including development around waterways, inadequate hydraulic infrastructure and encroachment on areas reserved for drainage and other public infrastructure.
In 2022, the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, said obstructions along waterways were contributing to flooding in parts of the territory.
The agency specifically identified constricted waterways and inadequate hydraulic structures as factors affecting the movement of stormwater through areas including Lokogoma and Trademore.
The FCDA also acknowledged in June 2025 that encroachment on land reserved for waterways, sewer lines and other infrastructure could contribute to flooding.
Its Executive Secretary, Richard Yunana Dauda, said Abuja’s development was still guided by the Master Plan and warned developers against building outside the boundaries of their approved titles and allocations.
The FCT Administration’s own website states that about 30 per cent of Abuja’s land is designated as green areas and lists the restoration of the Abuja Master Plan and recovery of green areas among the administration’s priorities.
The administration has also continued to undertake drainage and related infrastructure projects. In February 2026, Wike inspected ongoing drainage, sewer and road works around the World Trade Centre and Abuja Metro Rail corridor, with the FCTA saying the projects were intended in part to improve stormwater control and reduce flooding risks in the Central Business District.
In addition, the FCDA announced in February that preparations were underway for a comprehensive review of the Abuja Master Plan, in collaboration with the National Population Commission and with the involvement of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The agency said the review had become necessary to address challenges arising from the city’s growth and changing housing, transportation and socio-economic needs.
Urban planning experts have previously raised similar concerns. In October 2025, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners warned that encroachment, blocked drainage channels and development in areas originally reserved for public use or green space were increasing Abuja’s vulnerability to flooding.
The latest flooding therefore comes amid an ongoing tension between Abuja’s rapid expansion and the need to preserve the infrastructure and land-use principles underpinning its original design.
While heavy rainfall can overwhelm drainage systems, experts and government agencies have repeatedly identified blocked waterways, encroachment and inadequate stormwater infrastructure as factors that can worsen flooding.
For residents, however, the immediate concern remains the safety and accessibility of roads and neighbourhoods during heavy rainfall.
The latest incident has intensified calls for the FCT Administration to address drainage bottlenecks, protect waterways and green areas, enforce development regulations and ensure that ongoing infrastructure projects provide lasting solutions rather than temporary relief.
As Abuja continues to expand, the recurring flooding is likely to keep pressure on the FCT Administration to demonstrate that the capital’s development is being matched by adequate drainage, effective land-use enforcement and sustained adherence to the principles of its Master Plan.
Daily Post
