The impact of Soludo’s rebuilding of the biggest urban slum in eastern Nigeria

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In 2021, here is how Germany’s Heinrich Böll Foundation described Okpoko – a community in the suburb of Onitsha – in one of its reports authored by Rebacca Roberts: ‘’ The Okpoko community has not had any formal governance structure in the last 16 years.

Okpoko is one of the most important locations in the south east yet it has been in a pitiable condition since 1960 – the year Nigeria got its independence. In 2008, the UN-Habitat estimated the population of Okpoko at 128,000 and estimated an annual growth rate of 2.83%. Okpoko is located in the Ogbaru local government area and is situated between the Relief Market and the popular Onitsha Main Market. Over 30% of Okpoko’s 291.967 hectares land mass was an active slum according to reports predating 2021. The town borders the River Niger in the west and the Onitsha–Enugu Expressway in the north.

On assumption of office, the governor’s first official visit to Okpoko was followed by the massive clearing of blocked drains and opening of waterways around Okpoko, including the Sakamori drainage system in Okpoko. By opening up waterways and re-directing runoff water to the River Niger, hundreds of lives would be saved from flood-related deaths in the coming rainy seasons.

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thecableng /  🏆 2. in NG

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