Despair in the Rain: Lagos Residents Battle Broken Roads, Floods, and Neglect

For years, residents across several communities in Lagos State have endured daily hardship and fear, trapped in a cycle of decaying infrastructure, blocked drainages, and flooding that has rendered many homeless.

One of the hardest-hit areas is Oyadiran Estate, in the Sabo axis of Yaba, once known for its serenity and orderliness. Today, it stands as a grim picture of neglect—roads riddled with potholes, gutters overflowing with debris, and homes regularly submerged after rainfall.

What used to be a smooth, tree-lined drive through the estate has deteriorated into a network of gullies and craters. Vehicles swerve dangerously to avoid deep potholes, while pedestrians tiptoe along narrow edges of broken asphalt, trying to avoid pools of stagnant water.

Whenever it rains, the situation becomes dire. The drainages—blocked by plastic waste and years of silt—quickly overflow, turning streets into rivers and homes into temporary ponds. Within minutes of a heavy downpour, residents watch helplessly as water gushes into compounds, swallowing their properties.

“It is a moment of agony every day,” said Kunle Adebayo, a resident. “I repair my car almost daily because of the bad road. The government keeps making promises, but nothing changes. They remember us only during elections.”

Another resident, small business owner Mike Ojo, has suffered repeated losses. “The flood carries my goods away each time it rains. My shop is now half empty because of the damage,” she lamented.

For Ismail Adewale, the experience is nothing short of a nightmare. “When it rains, even tricycles break down in the flood. Sometimes we have to wade through dirty water just to get our children to school. Nobody cares.”

The neglect has gone beyond inconvenience — it’s now a health crisis. Pools of stagnant water have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, sparking fears of malaria and other water-borne diseases. Children can be seen playing in contaminated floodwater, while many households have built sand barriers at their doors to keep the water out.

In the evenings, the roads become death traps. With no functional streetlights, drivers often plunge into waterlogged gullies or get stuck in deep mud.

Chairman of the Oyadiran Estate Residents Association, Mr. Tayo Ogunyeye, described the situation as a “public health emergency waiting to explode.”
“We have appealed repeatedly to the authorities,” he said. “Our estate was well-planned, but poor maintenance has destroyed the drainage system. The entire channel needs to be redesigned and reconstructed. We cannot do it alone.”

Attempts to get comments from the Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) yielded little result, as its chairman, Mr. Bayo Adefuye, declined to discuss the matter on the phone.

Unfortunately, Oyadiran Estate is not alone. Across Lagos, similar tales of neglect unfold — particularly in the Amuwo Odofin axis, where residents of Festac Town and its environs are living in equally dire conditions.

From First Avenue to Seventh Avenue, once-beautiful roads have collapsed into impassable routes. The Alakoso Road connecting Apple Junction to Ijesha has deteriorated so badly that only heavy trucks can navigate it.

In Festac Extension Estate, open fields have turned into stagnant swamps, providing perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Residents now spend evenings indoors, wrapped in long sleeves and insect repellents to survive.

Marcellus Onah, a lawyer and resident, expressed frustration over the government’s apathy. “Politicians come here during elections, make promises, and disappear. They started work on the drainage last year, but it has been dragging for months. Maybe they’re saving it for the next campaign.”

Another resident, Kolade Ademola, described the state of roads as “a national shame.”
“Festac used to be beautiful,” he said. “Now, it’s a shadow of itself. Our leaders only care about enriching themselves while we suffer. Every rainfall is a disaster.”

Despite some minor repair efforts by the new local government chairman, residents remain skeptical, hoping that this administration will not follow the same path of neglect as its predecessors.

For thousands of Lagosians in Yaba, Festac, and Amuwo Odofin, the rainy season no longer brings relief — only anxiety, fear, and the sound of rainwater flooding through their streets and homes.