The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, on Wednesday, disclosed that erosion and other ecological threats are gnawing at 30 to 40 per cent of the state’s landmass.
Soludo who described Anambra as the erosion capital of Nigeria called for a speedy intervention from the Federal Government and other development partners.
The governor disclosed this to State House Correspondents after meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The former Central Bank Governor who argued that only an urgent intervention from the FG and other development partners can salvage the situation said his administration is introducing better environmental awareness among the people to limit the challenge.
He said, “The environment is our number one existential threat, other than security, and Anambra is the erosion capital of Nigeria.
“Perhaps, you might know that about 30% to 40% of our land is under threat of erosion, there’s no other state like Anambra when it comes to erosion. Even last week somewhere between Ezinhifite/Osumenyin Road was cut off again and several huge gullies everywhere; Obosi, Oko, Nanka, Aguolo, everywhere, there’s erosion menace.
“As I said, while our landmass is shrinking massively due to erosion and so on, it’s far beyond the capacity of a state government to deal with. Even if you were to sink the entire budget of the state for the next ten years into dealing with the gully erosion in the state, it will still be like a drop in the ocean.”