A last minute intervention by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has doused the situation as residents groaned over the waste crisis in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Before the gradual descent of the capital city, it was once hailed for its well-planned layout and iconic landscape.

However, the situation has changed as the city is now battling a growing waste crisis that threatens to erode its beauty and compromise public health.

Across several districts and major access roads, heaps of refuse have become a common sight, with no immediate relief in view.

From Jabi to Jikwoyi, Karu to Utako and Lifecamp, the FCT is littered with mounds of uncollected garbage.
In many cases, the wastes have spilled over the roads, narrowing lanes and obstructing traffic, while releasing pungent odours that residents say have become unbearable.

In Jikwoyi, a densely populated suburb in the FCT, one lane of the main road has been taken over by refuse. Motorists are forced to navigate dangerously around it, while pedestrians cover their noses to shield themselves from the stench.

“It’s like living in a dumpsite. This is a road we use every day, and yet no one seems to care,” said Blessing Chukwu, a trader in the area.

The situation is no better in Jabi, where a dumpsite near a traffic light has become a permanent eyesore.

Drivers and commuters complain that the waste pile not only disfigures the area but also endangers public health, especially during the rainy season when decomposing trash mixes with floodwater.

In Utako, a busy commercial district, residents say a refuse heap located near a major junction has remained unattended to for weeks.

“This is the heart of the city, and it looks like no one is in charge anymore. We deserve better,” said Suleiman Idris, a civil servant who commutes through the area daily.

Perhaps the most alarming sight is along the Karu-Karshi Expressway, where a large dumpsite sits right on the edge of the road.

The pile of garbage is so extensive that it encroaches on the carriageway, creating traffic bottlenecks and posing safety hazards, especially at night.

The worsening waste management crisis has triggered concerns among residents and environmental advocates, who blame poor coordination among relevant agencies and a lack of accountability.

With Abuja’s population continuing to grow rapidly, many fear that the problem could spiral out of control if urgent action is not taken.

While the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has in the past promised reforms in environmental sanitation and waste collection, residents say such pledges have yet to translate into lasting results on the ground. In some districts, waste contractors reportedly go for weeks without clearing refuse, either due to logistical problems or lack of supervision.

Public health experts warn that the accumulation of garbage in residential and commercial areas could lead to outbreak of diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, and respiratory infections, especially as the rainy season intensifies.
The stagnant pools of water created around dump sites also provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of malaria.

Environmental rights campaigners are now calling for an immediate audit of Abuja’s waste management system, with a view to restructuring operations and holding service providers accountable.

They are also urging the FCTA to invest in modern waste recycling technologies and enforce strict penalties against indiscriminate dumping.

“The capital city of Africa’s most populous nation should not look like this.

“We need a comprehensive cleanup and a sustainable waste management strategy that reflects the city’s status and potential,” said an environmentalist based in Abuja.

Meanwhile, as residents continue to navigate overflowing dumpsites and garbage-ridden roads, many are left wondering when Abuja will reclaim its status as a clean and dignified capital.A resident of FCT and National Coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, decried the messy state of the seat of power, urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to up his ante.

According to Onwubiko, the dirty state of Abuja is a sad commentary on how badly administered FCT has become.

He noted that FCT was gradually gravitating towards becoming the world’s dirtiest city, urging the government to change the narrative.

“Abuja is gradually becoming the dirtiest capital city in the world. This should be a source of worry and consternation to all lovers of Nigeria. Our challenge to the political authority in Abuja is that there must be a positive, constructive transformation in the area of restoring the clean sanitation of the city.

“The very reason why we can’t afford to allow the FCT to deteriorate in the area of environmental sanitation is that the population may be endangered by the affliction of diseases that do come about due to a filthy environment. The minister of the FCT needs to rejig the management of the agency responsible for cleaning up the city,” he said.

When The Guardian contacted a top management official in the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), on Thursday, the reporter was directed to another official who sought anonymity.

The official, who responded to inquiries on Friday, hinted that the waste dump at Life camp had been cleared.
According to him, “please don’t quote me. I have no authority to speak to the press. I only needed to clarify the issue of which the agency is overseeing so as to help you make your inquiries appropriately.

“If you need any response, come to the office and I will take you to our boss who can answer your questions.

“The above pictures I just sent are from AEPB. The clearing of Kado Fish market, Life camp today by our contractors.

“Karu-Jikwoyi Road is under the purview of Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) and not Abuja Environmental Protection Board.”