Soludo’s Green Revolution: How Anambra is Transforming Its Environment One Community at a Time

Soludo’s Green Revolution: How Anambra is Transforming Its Environment One Community at a Time

Awka, Nigeria – April 26, 2025 –
When Governor Charles Soludo assumed office in 2022, he inherited more than a call for development — he faced an ecological crisis of staggering proportions. With over 1,000 active erosion sites, recurrent flooding, a broken waste system, and some of the worst air pollution levels in the world, Anambra State was on the brink of environmental collapse.

Three years into his administration, however, the story is changing. According to Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, deliberate policies, strategic partnerships, and sustained action have placed environmental sustainability at the heart of Governor Soludo’s governance agenda.

From Emergency to Environmental Renaissance

One of Governor Soludo’s earliest moves was to declare a State of Emergency on the Environment. Personally leading cleanup efforts alongside his deputy, the Governor initiated a sweeping waste management reform. Cities like Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi, and Okpoko — once buried under heaps of refuse — have been transformed. Notably, Ochanja Roundabout, once a symbol of urban decay, now features a revitalized public space complete with a water fountain.

A major shift came with the decentralization of waste management responsibilities to local governments, a strategy that has improved efficiency and responsiveness. In 2024, these efforts earned Anambra a place among Nigeria’s top ten cleanest states, according to the Clean Up Nigeria environmental performance index.

Battling Erosion and Flooding

Recognizing erosion as a critical threat, Soludo’s government established the Anambra State Erosion, Watershed, and Climate Change Agency. High-risk erosion sites such as Nkpor-Ideani, Ezioko-Oko, and the Agulu-Awka corridor have undergone major rehabilitation works including slope reengineering, afforestation, and drainage upgrades.

Statewide desilting of drainage systems has also dramatically reduced the risk of flash floods during the rainy season, ensuring open roads, safer communities, and uninterrupted economic activities.

Greening the State

The Soludo administration has launched an ambitious tree-planting campaign, committing to planting over one million trees annually. Every one of Anambra’s 179 communities has benefitted from this green initiative, executed in collaboration with organizations like the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and federal environmental agencies.

In addition, over 26,000 diesel-powered streetlights have been replaced with solar-powered alternatives, while many public buildings, hospitals, and courts now run on renewable energy sources — a move aimed at reducing emissions and energy costs.

Institutionalizing Environmental Governance

In 2024, Anambra State passed one of the most comprehensive environmental laws in Nigeria’s sub-national history — the Anambra State Environmental Management, Protection, and Administrative Law. The legislation introduces sweeping reforms, including:

• Prohibiting unauthorized soil excavation,

• Mandating environmental assessments for major projects,

• Setting waste disposal standards,

• Establishing environmental benchmarks for public facilities, and

• Enforcing mandatory tree-planting for new developments.

It also prescribes stiff penalties for practices that promote erosion and deforestation.

A Movement for a Livable Homeland

Beyond policies and infrastructure, Governor Soludo’s administration is cultivating a culture of environmental consciousness through school curricula, community initiatives, and public awareness campaigns. In Anambra today, environmental stewardship is no longer seen as the responsibility of a single ministry but as a collective civic duty.

“In a state once overwhelmed by erosion, pollution, and neglect, Governor Soludo is engineering a green renaissance,” Aburime said. “From reaction to regeneration, from decay to dignity, his administration is not just managing the environment — it is healing the land.”

As Anambra charts a path toward a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future, Governor Soludo’s environmental revolution stands as a model for transformational leadership in Nigeria.