Osamagbe Imadiyi
Lagos, the commercial center of Nigeria, is surrounded by an uneasy calm, especially on the island, as locals prepare for what experts say may be one of the worst flood seasons in recent memory. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, or NIHSA, issued a new warning last week in Abuja that put Lagos on its list of states at high risk of severe flooding, adding to the anxiety.
Residents of flood-prone communities, especially those on Lagos Island, Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and Ajah, were urged by the event’s host, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Prof. Joseph Utsev, to brace themselves for severe flooding brought on by heavy rainfall, rising sea levels, and overburdened urban drainage infrastructure.
The pattern began as early as 2012, when heavy rains in July caused severe flooding in Lagos. The entire island was submerged, including major thoroughfares like Marina, Ozumba Mbadiwe, and Ahmadu Bello Way. It was one of the worst flood disasters in the history of the state. Homes in Ikoyi, Lekki Phase 1, Victoria Island, and portions of Ajah were submerged by floodwaters that year.
Due to the impassability of several roads, residents had to wade through waist-deep water. The flood destroyed properties valued at millions of naira, and many people were forced to relocate. Following the warning from NIHSA, Lagos residents have voiced serious worries about the impending flood threat.
Kennedy Terfa, a media executive from Victoria Island said,”Flooding here has become a tradition. My office server and a number of devices were destroyed in 2022 when water flooded in during a downpour. Every year, the government makes promises, but we rarely witness long-term results”.
Commercial driver Ayo Shonibare, who travels the Ajah–Lekki–Victoria Island route, observed: “Everywhere locks down once it rains. We have awful roads and constantly clogged drains. Either you stay at home and lose money, or you risk your car getting stuck. This is not how anyone should have to live in a city like Lagos”.
The Lagos State Government, in response to the escalating tension, has reaffirmed its readiness to handle the expected flooding and downpours, especially in the island’s most vulnerable areas. Tokunbo Wahab, the Environment and Water Resources Commissioner, reassured locals that proactive measures were being taken during an inspection of the ongoing Lagos Island Urban Regeneration Project.
