The Lagos State Government has reiterated its warning to residents living in vulnerable areas of Lekki, Ikorodu, and Ajegunle to relocate to safer, elevated regions as the city braces for intensified rainfall and potential flooding.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, emphasized the urgency of the situation.
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“Those around the Ajilete axis of Lagos, that’s Ajegunle, they have to move. Those around the coastline of Ikorodu; Majidu, have to move. Some areas around the Lekki corridor, too, not all,” Wahab cautioned.
He noted that while specific low-lying zones are at risk, some other regions remain unaffected.
“Epe had always been safe, Mushin will be safe, Ikeja will be safe,” he added, also calling on residents in the Isheri-OPIC axis to stay vigilant.
Wahab explained that due to Lagos’ geographical nature as a coastal city, the state remains highly susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, including flash floods.
He pointed to projections from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which anticipate heavier rainfall in Lagos this year compared to previous years.
“For those who stay in the lowland of Lagos, they have to move to the upland pending when the rain recedes,” he warned.
His comments came after several Lagos neighborhoods experienced severe flooding on Monday, following prolonged rainfall that began on Sunday night and continued well into the next day.
Areas across the state were inundated, with viral videos capturing submerged buildings, vehicles, and overwhelmed roadways. The rising water levels, caused by blocked drains and overburdened canals, brought commercial and transportation activities to a halt in many parts of the city.
Despite the challenges, Wahab urged the public not to panic, assuring them that the state government is actively addressing the crisis. He said ongoing drainage clearance efforts and infrastructure upgrades are part of the government’s broader flood mitigation strategy.
“We won’t tell Lagosians lies. Lagos will be exposed to the vagaries of climate change, and that means Lagos will have flash flooding, but as a state, we have to provide resilient infrastructure, and we have to tell our people to be responsible.
“If nature takes its course, what we can do is to mitigate its impact,” the commissioner said.
