Kunle Adegoke Calls For River Management, City-Wide Flood Master Plan As Flood Wrecks Havoc In Osogbo
Reloaded News Desk
APC candidate for Osun Central Senatorial District, Kunle Rasheed Adegoke, SAN, has called for a comprehensive flood-management master plan for Osogbo following the latest flooding that affected several communities in the city and other parts of Osun State.
Adegoke said the recurring flooding required a long-term approach that goes beyond emergency drainage clearance and responses after heavy rainfall, proposing a coordinated strategy focused on the Osun River, drainage infrastructure, urban development and flood-risk management.
His position comes after flooding affected communities including Ijetu, Gbodofon, Ogo-Oluwa, Omigade, Oke-Arungbo, Baruwa and Isale Osun in Osogbo. Reports from the affected areas indicated that more than 1,000 households were displaced, while hundreds of buildings close to the Osun River were affected.
In a policy article on the flooding, Adegoke argued that Osogbo needs to move from managing individual flood incidents to managing the river system and the wider catchment responsible for the movement of water through the city.
He proposed the development of an Osogbo Urban Flood Management Master Plan covering waterways, drainage channels, bridges, culverts, floodplains, vulnerable communities, areas of encroachment and infrastructure deficiencies.
Among the measures he proposed are scientific channelisation where appropriate, dredging of constrained waterways, widening of river sections where necessary, reinforcement of vulnerable riverbanks, flood-retention areas, improved culverts and bridges, stormwater diversion, upgraded drainage systems and erosion-control measures.
Adegoke also called for the use of hydrological modelling before major interventions are undertaken, including assessments of rainfall intensity, catchment behaviour, river capacity, peak discharge and the possible downstream effects of proposed projects.
Adegoke’s proposal also places emphasis on development control. He called for flood-risk maps and stronger enforcement against construction in natural waterways and flood-prone areas, alongside humane measures for communities or structures that may ultimately need to be relocated.
He further proposed that dredging should be treated as an ongoing maintenance responsibility rather than a one-off intervention, with regular inspections, maintenance schedules and public information on the scope and performance of such works.
The APC candidate also called for federal and state collaboration in financing flood-control infrastructure, including the pursuit of ecological funds and other legitimate sources of funding. He argued that the movement of water does not follow local government boundaries and therefore requires coordination among government agencies, neighbouring jurisdictions, river basin authorities, technical institutions and affected communities.
Adegoke proposed an early-warning system combining weather forecasts, river-level monitoring, satellite and geographic information systems, and reports from communities in flood-prone areas.
He also highlighted the need to factor heritage conservation into flood-control projects around the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove.
The Sacred Grove, located in Osogbo, is a UNESCO World Heritage property through which the Osun River runs. UNESCO’s latest 2026 conservation decision notes ongoing work on detailed site mapping, GIS documentation, ecological restoration and climate-risk assessment, while also stressing the need to protect the river and other components of the heritage site.
UNESCO has previously identified flooding, river pollution, urban development pressures and the fragility of the Grove’s river and natural environment as conservation concerns. Its 2023 decision specifically noted the need for measures to mitigate flooding within the property.
Adegoke therefore cautioned against treating concrete construction as a universal solution, advocating instead for a combination of civil engineering, environmental management, urban planning, hydrology and heritage conservation.
He also proposed the establishment of a technical committee involving hydrologists, engineers, environmental scientists, urban planners, heritage specialists, traditional institutions, local governments and representatives of affected communities to develop and oversee a long-term flood-resilience framework.
Adegoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, emerged as the APC’s candidate for Osun Central in the party’s 2026 senatorial primary and is listed as the party’s candidate for the district ahead of the 2027 elections.
His intervention comes amid renewed attention to the recurring flooding of Osogbo, with affected residents calling for authorities to address drainage deficiencies and develop measures capable of reducing future flood risks.
Adegoke said the recurring nature of the problem makes long-term planning necessary, arguing that flood resilience should be treated not only as an environmental issue but also as part of urban infrastructure and economic development planning.
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