LAGOS — The Lagos State Government has warned residents to brace for continued flash flooding, citing the unavoidable realities of climate change and other environmental factors, even as it ramps up infrastructure projects aimed at providing lasting solutions.
State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued the caution during a television interview on Monday, stressing that while mitigation efforts are ongoing, heavy rains will still trigger flooding in some parts of the state.
“In the last two years, we have cleaned over 50 kilometres of secondary collectors and dredged or maintained about 38 primary channels across Lagos,” Wahab said. He recalled the recent 14-hour torrential rainfall that hit parts of Ikorodu, noting that remedial measures were swiftly deployed to ease the situation.
He explained that in one affected area, a contractor had dammed the downstream section to allow construction works but was instructed to free it once the rains began so stormwater could flow out.
Wahab said the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had issued an early forecast in March, prompting the ministry to launch massive public awareness campaigns from April, warning that 2025 rainfall levels would surpass those of 2024.
Highlighting that climate change is a global challenge, the commissioner cited examples of countries recently battered by unprecedented flooding.
On infrastructure, Wahab revealed that several drainage contracts awarded in 2024 have an 18- to 24-month execution period, with the government prioritising quality over speed. Temporary measures, such as pumping stations on Lagos Island, will continue to mitigate flooding until permanent solutions are completed.
Ongoing major projects include System 44 in Lekki, System 44A, and the three-phase System 1 (Odo–Iyalaro) drainage network, which will channel stormwater from Ikeja, Opebi, and Sheraton areas directly into the lagoon.
“We expected the rains and had resilient measures in place. We have been doing massive advocacy and ramping up drainage infrastructure statewide. We won’t lie to residents – flash flooding will occur, but we are working to contain it,” Wahab assured.
Comments