Cross River Seeks $25M to Rebuild After Deadly Landslides

Cross River State is turning tragedy into transformation at a United Nations conference in Mongolia, pitching a $25 million recovery plan that aims to protect both people and one of Nigeria's most precious ecosystems.

Between July and August, heavy rains triggered deadly landslides and floods across Calabar and surrounding communities. Five people died at Ikot Anwatim, including four children from one family, when their homes were destroyed. Days later, another child was killed at Boro Pit/Satellite Town, and a one-month-old baby was swept away by floodwaters on Elijah Henshaw Street.

The disasters displaced over 15 households and destroyed dozens of homes. By late July, authorities warned that the ecological threat had grown beyond what any single institution could handle.

Now, state representatives are presenting their Cross River Restore Hope Initiative at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar. The three-year plan doesn't just ask for cleanup money. It seeks to prevent the next disaster.

The $25 million would fund humanitarian aid, emergency slope stabilization, and critical drainage work. It would also support risk mapping systems, early warning technology, and geotechnical studies to identify vulnerable areas before they collapse.

Importantly, $6 million would restore watersheds, forests, wetlands and mangroves that naturally protect against flooding and erosion. Another $4 million would build resilient infrastructure and help displaced families rebuild their livelihoods.

The Ripple Effect

Cross River's recovery matters far beyond Nigeria's borders. The state contains more than half of Nigeria's remaining tropical rainforest, plus crucial mangroves, wetlands and mountain ecosystems that store carbon and support biodiversity.

But the region lost about 134,000 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2023. That forest loss, combined with unplanned development and blocked drainage, has made communities increasingly vulnerable to disasters.

The state's proposal explicitly rejects the cycle of repeated emergency responses. Instead, it aims to create lasting systems that keep risks from rebuilding through better land-use planning, ecosystem restoration, and community-level resilience.

State officials acknowledge that while heavy rainfall triggered the disasters, the full picture involves soil conditions, slope geometry, and human development patterns. That's why their solution combines nature-based restoration with engineering and early-warning technology.

Cross River is showing the world that recovery done right protects both people and the planet for generations to come.