The Delta State Government has intensified efforts to tackle perennial flooding in Asaba with the ongoing Stormwater Drain Project, a 6,519-metre network scheduled for completion in December 2025.
Government records confirm that 4.6 kilometres of the drainage system are already 63 percent complete, providing relief to flood-prone areas around DBS and Anwai Road.
Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, on a recent inspection on Tuesday, commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s decisive investment in the project, describing it as a strategic departure from years of neglect.
His remarks echo a 2025 online report detailing multi-billion Naira underground tunnels constructed with high-tech engineering to ensure rapid evacuation of stormwater.
The intervention comes in the wake of August 2025 floods that ravaged farms in Delta, destroying fish ponds valued at more than ₦30 million.
Experts believe the project could mark a turning point in the state’s flood control strategy.
Historical data shows that Asaba has endured repeated flooding, worsened by blocked waterways and inadequate drainage. These challenges disrupted businesses, with residents lamenting significant losses during peak rains.
The Oborevwori administration launched the stormwater initiative in 2023 as part of its ₦230 billion infrastructure programme approved in July 2025. The investment aligns with the city’s master plan and addresses criticisms that past governments failed to plan adequately for Asaba’s rapid urbanisation.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria loses an estimated $2.3 billion annually to flood-related damages.
Delta’s response combines modern techniques such as reinforced concrete drainage, which recent studies in the Journal of Environmental Engineering (2022) validate as one of the most effective methods for urban flood control.
Officials, however, warn that success depends on community cooperation.
“Government can build the drains, but citizens must stop dumping refuse in them,” according to thr Delta State Orientation Bureau Chief, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe.
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