By Churchill Okonkwo
 Published June
30th, 2008
South Eastern Nigeria is known for entrepreneurial economy where
companies grow, individuals succeed, and communities reap the
rewards of growing incomes and shared prosperity. But with the
greatest rate erosion in Africa, SE Nigeria is faced with an
ecological disaster that has been long neglected with immense
consequences. It is very shameful that after over sixty years of
this erosion menace coming to light, no model, no center for
excellence, no concrete approach have been devised by the all
levels or arms of government and NGOs in the region.
Environmental degradation by way of erosion poses the greatest
threat to sustainability and viable socio-economic development
in the region. The huge sums of money that goes down the drain
annually in the last minute attempt to save villages from being
wiped out by erosion could be avoided if and only if appropriate
measures are taken now. South Eastern States have to be aware
that the choices they are making NOW concerning their
environment will influence the quality of life for the next
generations. As flood continues to eat up the heart of South
Eastern Nigeria, it’s high time a comprehensive proactive
management and control program is put in place to arrest the
situation.
The Framework
What I propose is an Erosion Control Program to be
implemented in all the states of South East. The program should
involve three components: Research, Job Creation and Revenue
Generation and the creation of a broad-based and participatory
institutional framework for sustainable development. The concept
behind the Erosion Control Program should be to properly harness
all research findings towards controlling the menace and
providing jobs for graduates and unemployed in the affected
communities. Based on available theory and empirical
investigations, there are a variety of important reasons why
firms should participate in research partnerships with
universities and polytechnic and a number of reasons why
governments must encourage them.
Now that addressing social issues is becoming a core business
strategy, companies must extend corporate social responsibility
to every part of the region in which they do business and
communities must demand the highest possible impact from these
efforts by building of bridges between partners that normally do
not work together: State and local government, community groups,
training and educational institutions, and non-governmental
organizations should be partners in the program and contribute
to various components of the program.
This type of partnership is what makes the difference between
developing and developed countries. The blacksmith who does know
how to forge a metal gong should look at the tail of a kite.
There is no reason why this cannot be done in South Eastern
Nigeria and it offers an excellent chance for local jobs and an
on-reserve location. Just take a moment and think of an
initiative called “Celtel Chair in Environmental Science”
at Oko Polytechnic in Aguata Local Government of Anambra state
dedicated solely to this Erosion Control Program. The
polytechnic is located within the four mile radius of the worst
erosion sites in Nigeria, yet, there is no program, department
or research centre focusing on the challenges posed by this
menace.
Nongovernmental Organizations and multinationals like
Celtel, MTN, Glo Mobile, Cadbury, Lever Brothers and
financial institutions like First Bank, Zenith Bank, UBA
Group should set up and effectively manage these Chairs in
Environmental Sciences at the universities in SE Nigeria. In
collaboration with local and state governments, Erosion Control
Centres should be set up in Local Government headquarters to
actively identify existing and developing erosion sites for
control. What the various levels of government need do is to
provide the enabling environment and logistics needed for the
smooth take off of the program. The funding, design, operation,
implementation and monitoring of the projects will be fully
managed by the Corporate Social Responsibility divisions of
these NGOs and companies.
Erosion Control Centres (ECC) should provide
guidance for selecting and implementing Best Management
Practices (BMPs) for reducing and controlling erosion and
sediment runoff from construction and gully erosion sites. ECC
should provide the tools (BMPs) that will, when combined
with practical experience and an understanding of erosional
processes and utilizing the vast array of erosion control
products developed at the various research chairs, allow the
field officers to develop highly effective erosion and sediment
control plans.
Erosion Control Centres (ECC) should provides
information intended to make erosion and sediment control
planning easier and more effective. Proper erosion and sediment
control planning is the most cost-effective way to control
gullying from construction or other land disturbance
activities.
Job Creation
It is known that investment in research and development will
bring in high-quality jobs. The Erosion control centers and the
seed money in the R&D could potentially create more than 5,000
jobs in Anambra state alone in the next two years. What the
research grant from the ecological fund on government side will
do is put a pool of money on the table for graduate students and
professors to come up with real time control measures and
products to this scourge.
School of Agricultures should be producing through its
nursery in schools and planting in excess of 100,000 trees per
year at areas that are prone to erosion as part of the final
year project. Students who successfully control erosion is sites
they worked on should be given automatic employment in the
Erosion Control Centers and assigned further assignments in the
section of re-vegetation with teams of trained planters from the
communities.
Department of Civil Engineering should be conducting soil
analysis to determine the chemical and physical properties of
the soil, designing water channels, and embankments for awkward
slopes of erosion sites and drains. These will create a
multiplier effect on employment since the need for job creation
is pressing. The strategic focus outlined here is what we need
not only to move forward in the control of erosion in South
Eastern Nigeria but also providing a sustainable economic
development through job creation.
Tourism
As it is at present, the various erosion sites in Anambra
state attracts “tourists” who want to see buildings swallowed up
by erosion. But real tourism that will generate revenue requires
the development of the resource base to make it attractive for
tourism. There will normally be some local opposition in the
form of a feeling of “exploitation” if the proceeds go to
government alone and the menace still not properly controlled.
The first step towards this revenue generation is the
successful control of the erosion in such a way that the gully
sites are turned into geological sites of attraction. With an
awesome landscape of the sun rising over the thick forests of
the Nanka Valleys, a spectacular mirror of mirages at the water
seepages flows from its source through the drainage channel to
the Odo River, the stage will be set. Contemplate the beauty of
the green vegetation as tourists enjoy hot goat paper soup under
the brilliant evening sunset while watching cultural dances from
Enugwu-Nanka people. Huge economic impacts will be felt when
this opportunity is developed.
Tourism is a definite stimulus to a community’s economy as it
brings outside Naira into the community. Many local craft people
can individually benefit from this activity. As well all the
local service businesses can also derive direct revenue from
sales/service to tourists. This is substantial in terms of
employment and appropriateness of businesses for group tours and
hosting of cultural activities. There is a definite need to take
rightful ownership of the immense opportunity this partnership
program will create, turn it to tourism and begin to reap the
financial rewards as opposed to being threatened by the menace.
As with all good initiatives in developing countries, the big
question of accountability and effective management of set out
goals and objectives is always a source of concern. How can the
program be sustained? What happens to the ecological fund from
the federation account?
 Churchill Okonkwo
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