Lagos warns residents in flood-prone areas to relocate before raining season
By Adeola Ogunrinde
The Lagos State Government on Friday issued a red alert to residents residing around areas prone to flood in the state to be prepared to relocate ahead of the raining season.
Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for environment and water resources, gave the warning during a press briefing on the 2026 Seasonal Climate Predictions in Ikeja where he said “the briefing is aimed at informing residents about expected weather patterns and their possible effects”.
Wahab urged people living in flood-prone communities such as Owode, Iwaya, Makoko and Shibiri to remain alert and ready to move to safer areas whenever flooding occurs.
He also announced that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will flag off the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, disclosing that the exercise will begin on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Mushin Local Government Area.
The sanitation exercise, which used to hold on the last Saturday of every month from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., was suspended in 2016 due to challenges associated with restricting movement in a large city.
The government decided to bring it back following complaints about increasing waste and blocked drainage channels.
According to the commissioner, Lagos is expected to experience above-normal rainfall this year, warning that the heavy rains could lead to flash floods, strong winds, disruption of commercial activities and possible flight delays.
Wahab added that the state government is working with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority to monitor weather conditions and manage water releases from Oyan Dam in order to reduce the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities.
“We are determined to maintain the long-established synergy and partnership with the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority (OORBDA), which has ensured control and monitoring of the steady and systemic release of water from Oyan Dam to prevent flooding of the downstream reaches of the Ogun River. Therefore, I want you to join the government in sensitizing Lagosians who reside along flood plains of major rivers and drainage channels such as Owode, Iwaya, Makoko, Badia, Ijora, Isaalu, Pota, Shibiri, among others to always be on the alert and ready to relocate to higher grounds when the need arises,” he said.
