The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said flash flooding remains an inevitable reality because of the state’s coastal location, urging residents not to worsen the situation by dumping refuse on roads and into drainage channels.
It said while flash floods cannot be completely prevented in a coastal city like Lagos, the government is committed to reducing their impact through continuous investment in drainage infrastructure, flood control measures and environmental management.
He explained that the state’s geography makes it particularly vulnerable to heavy rainfall and temporary flooding, adding that the focus is on mitigating the effects rather than eliminating the phenomenon entirely.
“Must we always get flooded? I will tell you no. But can we realistically, as a coastal state, avoid flash flooding? I will tell you no.
So, what do we do? There must be a balance. We must mitigate the impact of our realities,” the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
The commissioner, however, stressed that residents have a critical role to play in preventing avoidable flooding by disposing of waste properly.
According to Wahab, refuse dumped indiscriminately is often washed into drains during rainfall, blocking drainage channels and preventing the free flow of stormwater, which worsens flooding in many communities.
He said that the state must confront, rather than ignore, the environmental challenges associated with being a coastal city.
“People tried to run away from the elephant in the room. And what is the elephant? The elephant in the room is: Lagos is a coastal state, and we’re exposed to the vagaries of climate change; we can’t run away from it,” he said.
The commissioner explained that some parts of Lagos lie below sea level, making them particularly susceptible to flash flooding during periods of intense rainfall and high tides.
According to him, rising sea levels caused by climate change often prevent stormwater from flowing freely, resulting in temporary flooding in affected communities.
“Some parts of Lagos are below sea level, and once there’s climate change, there’s excessive rain. There’s excessive heat, and there’s tidal lock, because there’s a sea level rise.
“Once the sea level is up, your stormwater naturally will not discharge. It will hold back for maybe one or two hours. And that’s why we say to Lagosians: please, don’t panic. This water will recede within one or two hours,” the commissioner noted.
Wahab said the state government has continued to invest in resilient infrastructure to improve flood management and reduce the impact of extreme weather events.
“On our part, we’ve provided resilient infrastructure statewide, and we’re still providing the same,” he noted.
The commissioner reiterated that while flash flooding may be unavoidable in a coastal city like Lagos, sustained infrastructure development and public cooperation remain essential to minimising its impact.
Tokunbo’s comment follow the flash flooding experienced in many parts of the Lagos over the last two weeks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, subsequently approved the immediate dredging and maintenance of 28 additional primary channels across the state.
