By Anietie Akpan
Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State, on Monday, January 19, recorded the first rain of the year 2026, raising farmers hope for early planting.
Incidentally, the city also recorded the last rain of year 2025, on December 31, altering predictable weather conditions.
This phenomenon is causing serious concern to environmentalists who are saying that this unpredictable weather situation is the direct fallout of climate change arising from the unfriendly activities of humans and multinational companies.
The first rain in Calabar which affected both Calabar Municipality and Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA), started at about 6 am and ended at 7.13 am causing little floods here and there but there was no significant or noticeable damage.
It rained intermittently within the period of 6 am and 7.13 am in the morning as captured in the Ekorinim axis of the municipality and residents heaved a huge sigh of relief from the scorching heat that had prevailed over time.
A resident in Ekorinim, Mr. Sunday Umo said, “I just hope this early rain this year which is a carry over from that of December 31, last year, is a sign of good things to come.
“I am happy with the rain, at least it has made everywhere to be cool. As you can see, since morning the weather has been calm and cool. The heat is largely checked especially in this our unreliable electricity supply”.
Another resident, a part time farmer in Calabar Municipality, Mr. Etim Effiong was full of excitement saying, this is a good omen for me. I pray the rain continues so that I can start planting of my cassava and yam early”.
He however cautioned against the rush to go and plant now because the rain can stop to fall and “normally we expect regular rains to start in March”.
Some persons who depend on the rain to get gutter sand for building were equally happy with the rain.
Udo Eyo who scoops gutter sand to sale stated, “we are happy with the early rains and I pray it continues so that I can get some sand to sale for survival”.
Commenting on the early and irregular rains, an environmentalist and Coordinator, Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF), Mr. Umo Isuaiko, said what has happened is the function of human activities impacting negatively on the climate.
“The truth is that people did not believe in climate change but it is something that we are now feeling”, he said adding, “it is something that even the blind can even see it. In the past, one was able to predict when rain will fall, when it will not fall, when they can go to their farms, planting season and the rest” but now it is not so.
Isuaiko said, “all these things were determined by weather or climate but because of man’s activities towards the environment, the tide has totally changed from the pattern that our forefathers used to know.
“Our forefathers in the past could predict everything and they will have it 100 percent but today it is not so, the reverse is the case”.
He said, “by now we should have gotten a serious harmattan but it is not so even in Calabar and we are almost going into February yet we have not seen a single harmattan, which supposed to be out by this time.
“There are lots of changes in the climate that are caused by human factors like the way we impact on the environment, gas flaring, the way we dump our refuse and general way we keep our environment have gone a long way to destroy and disrupt the environmental pattern.
“Under normal circumstances, we we should talk of rain from late March to April through to August or September or probably early October”.
The environmental expert cautioned saying, “we need to change our attitude towards the environment especially the multi nationals”
On the other hand, he said, “the governments are the regulators, they have not really acted the way they suppose to act. There is need to prioritize the environment.
“They are paying lip service to the issues of environment. Rather we are looking at the political aspect of it. Let us come together and see how we can assist ourselves to have a good environment that we can pass to the next generation”.
