Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, says the ongoing removal of illegal structures and restoration of drainage channels in the Ajiran and Agungi areas of Eti-Osa has already produced significant improvements in flood control. Wahab disclosed this in a post shared on his official X……
Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, says the ongoing removal of illegal structures and restoration of drainage channels in the Ajiran and Agungi areas of Eti-Osa has already produced significant improvements in flood control.
Wahab disclosed this in a post shared on his official X page on Saturday, July 4, 2026, following an inspection of the ongoing drainage restoration and enforcement exercise in the affected communities.
According to him, the reopening of the Ajiran channel to the Lagos Lagoon and the Ikota River has led to a noticeable improvement in stormwater discharge within 48 to 72 hours, providing relief to residents of Agungi, Ajiran Village and surrounding areas.
“Earlier today my team and I returned to the Ajiran and Agungi axis in Eti-Osa to inspect the ongoing removal of contraventions and drainage restoration works, and I can report that our decisive intervention is already yielding visible results. Within 48 to 72 hours of reopening the Ajiran channel to the Lagoon and the Ikota River, we have seen a remarkable improvement in stormwater discharge, bringing real relief to residents of Agungi, Ajiran Village, and neighbouring communities.
“We are not done yet. This exercise continues until the entire drainage alignment is fully restored and reconnected to the natural water bodies.”
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The commissioner said he also met with community leaders and residents to explain both immediate and long-term flood mitigation measures being implemented by the state government.
“I also met with community leaders and residents to explain both the immediate and long term measures we are deploying. We are collaborating with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to deliver a sustainable engineering solution for this flood prone corridor, and I have directed the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to commence remedial maintenance on channels requiring urgent intervention.”
Wahab said the inspection team also visited Orange Island on Freedom Way, where he reiterated the government’s resolve to stop illegal dredging and land reclamation activities.
“At Orange Island on Freedom Way, I reaffirmed that the government remains resolute against illegal dredging and land reclamation. Reclamation activities there were halted last year because the developers failed to obtain the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment and drainage clearance.
“That area is a major discharge outlet for Lekki Phase I into the Lagoon and any obstruction would create significant environmental challenges. We also inspected downstream discharge points serving Itedo, Kushenla and Freedom Way and identified additional corrective measures for immediate implementation.”
The commissioner commended local government authorities for strengthening their operational capacity and stressed that flood management requires collaboration between government and residents.
“I commend the Local Government authorities for improving their operational capacity. Flood management is a shared duty. Every new road must have properly designed collector drains connected to primary canals, and communities must take ownership of completed infrastructure.”
On environmental enforcement, Wahab said the government would sustain the arrest and prosecution of offenders while boosting waste management operations across the state.
“On enforcement, we continue to arrest and prosecute environmental offenders. We will soon deploy between 140 and 150 additional waste compactors to strengthen LAWMA’s fleet and support PSP operators.
“Before the end of this year, our Material Recovery Facilities and Transfer Loading Stations will begin diverting over 4,000 tonnes of waste daily from landfills as we accelerate the transition from a linear waste system to a circular economy. This is the work of building a flood resilient #CleanerLagos and a #GreaterLagos.”
