The Lagos State Government has advised residents living in low-lying areas to relocate to higher ground to avoid being victims of flooding, as the city braces for heavier rainfall this year.
The warning, issued by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, follows predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) that Lagos will experience significantly more rainfall in 2025 than in the previous year.
Wahab, speaking on a television programme, named parts of Lekki, Ikorodu, Ajegunle and Isheri (in the OPIC axis) as areas at high risk of flash floods, urging residents to be alert and take precautionary measures.
His comments came in the wake of Monday’s widespread flooding across parts of Lagos, caused by uninterrupted heavy rain that started on Sunday night. Viral videos showed submerged homes and vehicles, with residents navigating floodwaters on roads and streets overwhelmed by overflowing drainage channels.
Despite the grim scenes, Wahab assured Lagosians that the government was working to mitigate the effects of flooding. He said over ₦15 billion was spent on drainage infrastructure in 2024, and efforts such as clearing channels and expanding flood pathways are ongoing.
“We won’t tell Lagosians lies. Lagos will be exposed to the vagaries of climate change, and that means Lagos will have flash flooding,” Wahab said.
He defended the state’s handling of perennial flood zones like Surulere, Apapa, and Lekki, stating that work is in progress—such as the System 44 project in Lekki and developments around Maryland and Ikeja.
The commissioner cited the construction of high-capacity pump stations—like the one in Ilubirin, which can pump three million gallons of water per hour—and others in Kusenla and Agungi as examples of forward-thinking solutions. He also drew comparisons with flood-resilient cities like Amsterdam and Singapore, noting that Lagos, as a sub-national, faces unique limitations.
Wahab called on residents to avoid building on wetlands and floodplains, warning that illegal structures would be removed.
“There must be consequences for bad behaviour,” he said, also defending the government’s crackdown on environmental violations, including the recent shutdown of non-compliant nightclubs and commercial premises.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported that 191 lives have already been lost to floods across 20 states in 2025.
Data released by NEMA revealed that 94 people are missing, 239 injured, and 48,056 displaced, while 9,499 houses and 9,450 farmlands have been destroyed. Over 134,000 individuals have been affected so far, including 60,071 children and 1,874 persons living with disabilities.
Worst-hit states include Imo (28,030 affected), Rivers (22,345), Adamawa (12,613), Abia (11,907), Borno (8,164), and Kaduna (7,334), among others.
NEMA listed food, shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare, education, and security as the most pressing needs of affected communities. The agency also identified several challenges hampering response efforts, including resource constraints, access issues, security risks, and poor coordination.
In 2024, Nigeria recorded about five million flood-affected individuals, with over 1.2 million displaced, more than 1,000 lives lost, and 16,000 injured.
