Lagos flooding natural, not caused by coastal highway, Governor clarifies

By Adeola Ogunrinde

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said flooding in the state is a natural occurrence associated with its coastal geography and not a consequence of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

He also pledged joint engineering interventions with the Federal Government, including the construction of service lanes and improved drainage systems, to ease water flow along the highway corridor at Lagos House, Marina, while receiving the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and members of the National Assembly Committees on Works. According to Sanwo-Olu Lagos occupies less than 0.26 percent of Nigeria’s total landmass, with about one-third of the state covered by creeks, lagoons and other water bodies, placing enormous pressure on available land.

The governor said the state’s unique geography makes seasonal flooding inevitable, stressing that residents should expect flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. He compared the situation to hurricane-prone coastal areas in the southern United States, describing such events as natural occurrences rather than man-made disasters.

Sanwo-Olu also criticized what he described as misleading narratives on social media, saying they had exaggerated the impact of flooding and wrongly blamed the coastal highway project. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for initiating the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing Lagos as the project’s first major beneficiary.

Addressing concerns over communities along the highway, the governor said the state and federal governments had agreed to construct service lanes measuring between eight and 10 meters, alongside additional drainage infrastructure. He said the measures would provide residents with easier access without depending directly on the expressway while ensuring the road is elevated enough to withstand ocean surges.

Sanwo-Olu further attributed part of the flooding challenge to indiscriminate waste disposal and the blockage of drainage channels by refuse, urging residents to adopt better sanitation practices to support government efforts at flood control.

Earlier, Minister of Works, David Umahi, said President Tinubu ordered a technical assessment following what he described as misleading social media reports linking the coastal highway to flooding. He maintained that the road was deliberately constructed at a reduced design level capable of mitigating ocean flooding for the next 20 to 30 years, adding that the surrounding swampy corridor had experienced flooding long before construction commenced.

Umahi also praised the Lagos State Government’s drainage master plan, noting that it prohibits direct discharge of stormwater into the ocean and that more than 80 percent of evacuation channels leading to the lagoon had been completed. Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works, Sen. Allwell Onyesoh and Rep. Akin Alabi, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to providing legislative support and funding for the Federal Government’s legacy road infrastructure projects.