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Flooding: Plateau govt expands waterways, clears drainage systems
The Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) has intensified efforts towards clearing drainage systems and expanding waterways across the Jos-Bukuru metropolis to avert urban flooding.
The Director-General of PEPSA, Samuel Dapiya, said on Monday that the intervention followed recurring flash floods caused largely by blocked drainage channels resulting from indiscriminate waste disposal.
According to him, although heavy rainfalls are seasonal, many flooding incidents in the metropolis were worsened by human activities that obstruct the free flow of rainwater.
Mr Dapiya said the agency had desilted and cleared drainage channels from Miango junction to Educare Private School to improve water flow and minimise flooding.
He added that the agency would continue to monitor the affected areas after subsequent rainfall to determine whether additional engineering or environmental measures would be required.
The PEPSA boss also said personnel and equipment had been deployed to Lugard Road by UTC, where a blocked culvert had forced floodwater onto the road, causing traffic congestion and posing risks to motorists, businesses and other road users.
He attributed the blockage to indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels by residents, motorists and business owners.
“Our assessment revealed that plastic bottles, nylon materials, food waste, cartons and other refuse accumulated in the culvert over time, preventing the free flow of water,” he said.
Mr Dapiya said blocked drainage systems often resulted in flooded roads, damaged homes and businesses, destruction of public infrastructure, traffic disruption, environmental pollution and increased public health risks.
He noted that clearing blocked drainage channels required significant public resources that could otherwise be channelled into development projects.
The DG urged residents to dispose of waste only at designated collection points and refrain from dumping refuse into drainage systems, culverts, waterways and open spaces.
He also called on members of the public to report anyone found disposing of refuse in drainage channels or other unauthorised locations to PEPSA or the relevant authorities.
Mr Dapiya reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting lives, property, and the environment through sustained environmental sanitation and flood-prevention measures.
He stressed that effective environmental protection required the collective efforts of government and residents.
“Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. By disposing of waste properly, residents can help reduce flooding, protect public infrastructure and promote a cleaner and healthier Plateau,” he said.
(NAN)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has continued to spread geographically, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting cases across 61 health zones in six provinces.
The WHO disclosed this in its latest outbreak situation update issued on Thursday, saying the outbreak had expanded to Kayna Health Zone in North Kivu.
The affected provinces are Bas-Uélé, Haut-Uélé, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo.
Transmission remains a concern
According to the latest WHO update, transmission patterns remain variable, with evidence of continued geographical expansion and sustained increases in cases across some affected health zones despite ongoing response efforts.
The agency said delayed detection remained a major concern, increasing the risk of further transmission within households, communities and healthcare facilities.
It said limited access to early treatment and difficulties in interrupting transmission were also contributing to the challenges faced by the response.
In addition, the WHO said these challenges required strengthened surveillance, rapid response measures and early treatment to help interrupt transmission.
As of 7 September, the DRC had recorded 6,757 confirmed Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus, including 3,267 deaths.
The figures represent a crude case fatality ratio of 48.3 per cent, according to the WHO.
Outbreak challenges
The latest development comes less than a month after the WHO described the outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
At the time, 4,449 confirmed cases had been recorded across 53 health zones in five provinces.
The WHO had also warned that the outbreak was spreading faster than previous Ebola outbreaks at the same stage and was on course to potentially surpass the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which remains the largest recorded Ebola outbreak.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus.
READ ALSO: UK increases Ebola response funding to £78.7m
Unlike the Zaire species, which has caused several previous Ebola outbreaks and for which the Ervebo vaccine is used, there is currently no licensed vaccine specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.
In August, the WHO said a high proportion of cases were being detected in communities rather than treatment centres and outside known contact lists, suggesting that some chains of transmission remained unidentified.
The agency had said response measures included contact tracing, treatment centres, safe burial teams, laboratories and community engagement activities.
The WHO said the continued geographical expansion of the outbreak highlights the need to strengthen surveillance and ensure early detection and treatment, particularly in affected communities and healthcare facilities.
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Nigerian striker Okiki Akinwande has earned a major opportunity to test himself in European top-flight football after completing a loan move to KFC Komárno in Slovakia from Czech side MFK Karviná.
The 19-year-old centre-forward has joined Komárno until the end of the 2026/27 season, with the Slovakian club confirming the arrival of the promising Nigerian attacker as part of their squad reinforcement.
Akinwande arrives in Slovakia after making a strong impression in the Czech youth system. The 1.92m striker scored nine goals in nine matches for Karviná’s youth side, underlining his finishing ability and providing the platform for his move into senior football.
He also made his senior debut for MFK Karviná B in the Czech third-tier MSFL, featuring in the 2025/26 campaign before making another appearance at the beginning of the current season. Official league records list him with four MSFL appearances and 154 minutes overall.
Now, Akinwande faces a significantly bigger challenge in the Niké Liga, Slovakia’s top division, where he will have the opportunity to compete against established professional teams.
His move to KFC Komárno is viewed as an important development step, allowing the Nigerian forward to gain valuable senior experience and adapt to the physical and tactical demands of first-team football.
Komárno, based in southern Slovakia, have strengthened their squad with young African talent ahead of the ongoing campaign, with Akinwande joining Ghanaian winger Emmanuel Oppong as the club’s latest additions.
For Akinwande, the loan represents a chance to turn his impressive youth-level scoring record into senior-level performances.
The Nigerian will now look to establish himself in Slovakia, compete for regular playing time and show that his goalscoring form in the Czech youth league can translate to the professional stage.
At 19, the striker has already taken an important step from academy football into senior European competition.
Nine goals in nine youth games earned him the opportunity — now Okiki Akinwande has Slovakia waiting.
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