Vehicular and business activities were disrupted on Wednesday after hours of heavy rainfall caused flash floods in several parts of Lagos State, leaving homes, shops, and places of worship submerged.
Flood-prone areas including Maryland, Lekki, Ogba, and Ikorodu were worst hit, with residents lamenting yet another round of destruction. Videos shared on social media showed people wading through flooded streets while motorists crawled through waterlogged roads.
On Olatunji Street in Maryland, the overflow of a canal cut off access to the adjoining Mende community. “This has been happening for years now. People even swim to their houses,” said resident Chinasa Nnadi, who described the situation as unbearable for families.
Business owners were also not spared. Kalu, who runs a shop in the area, said floodwater invaded his premises, damaging goods. A church member, Christiana, disclosed that her worship centre lost valuable musical instruments. “When the canal is full, water gets into the church and destroys everything,” she said.
The situation compounded traffic woes across the state as vehicles broke down on flooded roads. A commuter, Tunji Abass, said he spent hours in gridlock around Ogba-Wempco. “It has always been like this during the rainy season. The earlier the government attends to this, the better,” he said.
For some, the problem has forced extreme coping strategies. Victor Obinna, who works in Ikate, revealed that he sometimes sleeps in his office whenever it rains heavily. “By the time I get to work, half of my body is soaked,” he lamented.
The Lagos State Government acknowledged the challenges, blaming a mix of technical failures, illegal construction, and poor waste disposal practices for worsening the impact of the floods.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a statement, said Lagos remained vulnerable as a coastal city but assured that measures were underway. He disclosed that the government had awarded a project for the construction of a pumping station to address flooding around the Kusenla axis of Lekki.
He added that blockages near the House on the Rock church were linked to illegal construction on floodplains and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drains.
“Clear infractions were observed in some of the videos shared yesterday. The state government will ensure that illegal structures and obstructions are promptly removed. Keeping our environment clean, refraining from dumping refuse into drains, and avoiding construction on floodplains are vital to achieving a flood-free Lagos,” Wahab said.
Although officials assured that most of Wednesday’s flooding had receded by Thursday morning, residents and businesses counted their losses. The economic cost of flooding in Lagos runs into billions annually, with risks of waterborne disease outbreaks adding to public health concerns.
