…Urges residents to remain calm, relocate from flood-prone areas
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The Lagos State Government has warned residents to brace for more heavy rainfall and flash floods in the coming weeks, urging those living in low-lying areas to relocate to safer locations as part of measures to protect lives and property.
The warning follows days of persistent downpours that triggered widespread flooding across the metropolis, submerging roads and homes, disrupting commercial activities and leaving motorists and commuters stranded.
Many residents were forced to bail floodwater out of their homes as the rains, which began on Sunday and intensified on Tuesday, continued in parts of the state on Wednesday.
Despite the situation, the government appealed for calm, assuring residents that measures were being implemented to minimise the impact of flooding.
Speaking on Wednesday during an inspection of the ongoing demolition of illegal structures and shanties obstructing the road median along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said residents must support government efforts to tackle flooding.
The demolition exercise is being carried out on the directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to remove illegal structures and commercial activities encroaching on the highway median.
Explaining the recent flooding across the state, Wahab attributed it to flash floods caused by heavy rainfall coinciding with high sea levels, which temporarily prevented stormwater from flowing into the lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean.
He noted that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier predicted thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and possible flash floods in Lagos and several other states.
Wahab recalled that while presenting the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), the state government had projected above-normal rainfall, with annual precipitation expected to range between 1,650mm and 3,030mm.
“Flash flooding is basically when the sea level is up. When it rains heavily, your stormwater cannot discharge into the lagoon or its discharge point. It will hold back for about one or two hours.
“Even after the rain stops, within one or two hours, the water will recede because nature allows it to return to the discharge point. That’s why we call it flash flooding,” he explained.
The commissioner acknowledged that some parts of the state continue to experience persistent flooding, citing Ajiran as one of the affected areas.
According to him, some of the challenges were caused by illegal land reclamation by private landowners.
“There are one or two areas that have persistent flooding, and we are addressing them. One of them is Ajiran. It is not because of the government, but because of irresponsible land-owning families.
“We are extending the drainage channels to the lagoon. Those are the issues we are addressing,” he said.
Wahab also urged residents to adopt proper waste disposal practices by using their designated Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators, warning that indiscriminate dumping of refuse on roads, drainage channels and road medians contributes significantly to flooding.
He advised residents to report any failure by PSP operators to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), assuring them that service providers were obligated to collect waste promptly.
On the ongoing demolition of illegal structures, Wahab said the government would permanently enforce the ban on illegal trading and occupation of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway median.
He warned that anyone who returned to occupy the cleared areas would be removed and prosecuted.
“We just need to see the level of compliance and the level of work that has been done based on the directive of the governor.
“We’ve drawn the mark on the ground. It’s a major highway. Tons of taxpayers’ money have been used to put this in place. In the past few years, we’ve been talking to them and moving them back.
“For now, the operation is once and for all to control it. Let the businesses have a setback and make the median free for all road users,” he said.
Responding to questions on how the government intended to prevent illegal occupants from returning, Wahab said monitoring and enforcement would continue.
“We will continue to patrol and monitor every day,” he said.
He explained that the wide median along the expressway had been reserved for the proposed rail line and therefore could not be occupied for trading or other activities.
“It’s for the rail line coming this way. That’s why it’s wide and we have to keep it free for them,” he added.
The commissioner further blamed indiscriminate waste disposal by residents and traders for worsening the recent flooding.
“Keep our surroundings clean. Let us use the PSP operators. If they are not coming, call LAWMA. Inform LAWMA and let it collect your waste.
“It doesn’t speak well of us for people to take waste from their homes and dump it on the median. It’s a polluter-pays policy, but some people are not even paying,” he said.
Wahab disclosed that the state government would continue to enforce environmental laws, noting that more than 1,000 offenders had been prosecuted over the past year.
“We have been prosecuting. In the past year, over 1,000 people have been prosecuted. We are not holding back. That is what the law provides for. Once there is a law, you must enforce it and attach consequences for bad behaviour,” he said.
The commissioner was accompanied on the inspection by the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu; Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji; Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, CSP Adebayo Akerele; Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin; and other senior government officials.
