Bakassi Faces Devastating Erosion Threat: LGA Chairman Calls for Urgent Intervention

Gully erosion is rapidly eroding critical areas of Bakassi Local Government Area, putting lives, infrastructure, and development at risk, according to the LGA chairman, Effiong Etim Okon.

Speaking over the weekend during a media briefing to mark his first five months in office, Okon issued a passionate appeal for immediate help from relevant authorities and development partners, warning that "erosion could wipe out entire communities" if left unchecked.

“Beyond infrastructure, gully erosion is one of the biggest factors hindering progress in Bakassi,” the chairman said.

Okon identified specific areas already affected by erosion, including:

• The back of the local government headquarters in Ikot Effiom

• The adjoining housing estate, which has become inaccessible

• The Obutong section of the estate, now cut off from other developing zones

According to Okon, the expanding gully spans approximately 450 meters in length and 10–13 meters in depth, making it a serious environmental and logistical hazard.

Chairman Okon appealed to the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) and other stakeholders for urgent intervention.

“We appeal to NEWMAP and other development partners to assist, especially as we are committed to taking governance directly to our people,” he stated.

He stressed that without swift and coordinated action, the erosion crisis could undermine all efforts to bring infrastructure and essential services to the region.