THE Chairman of Agboyi–Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Adeola Abubakar, has expressed strong support for ongoing climate resilience research aimed at tackling perennial flooding and related urban challenges in Ajegunle–Ikorodu and surrounding communities.

Abubakar gave the assurance when she received a delegation from the African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) during a courtesy and project engagement visit to her office in Lagos. The visit was to formally introduce ACRC’s work in Lagos, brief the council on progress made under the Action Research for Climate Resilience project, and explore areas of collaboration with the LCDA.
Welcoming the team, the chairman commended the depth and quality of work already carried out, noting that flooding, waste management and infrastructure deficits remain critical concerns for the local government. She affirmed the importance of evidence-based, community-focused interventions and pledged the LCDA’s willingness to support the project within available capacity.

“I am encouraged by the research-driven approach and the emphasis on community engagement. Flooding and waste management are key issues for us, and initiatives like this can help us better understand the problems and design more sustainable solutions,” Abubakar said.

Earlier, the City Manager of ACRC, Dr Temilade Sesan, introduced the consortium as a research-led initiative working across several African cities, led by the University of Manchester and headquartered in the United Kingdom. She explained that ACRC combines academic research, practitioner-led innovation and community participation to address complex urban challenges, with a strong preference for working closely with local governments as the tier closest to the people.

Presenting details of the climate resilience project, Prof. Peter Elias of the University of Lagos’ Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, said the Ajegunle–Ikorodu study focuses on understanding and addressing recurring flooding in waterfront and low-lying areas. According to him, the project integrates scientific and community-based investigations, hydrological and geological analyses, flood risk mapping, land-use assessments and documentation of local coping strategies.

He added that the research has also produced a preliminary Community Climate Action Plan, developed through a participatory, multi-stakeholder process involving residents, researchers and government actors.

The delegation highlighted the strong link between flooding, blocked drainage channels and poor waste management practices, identifying sanitation and waste disposal as critical complementary areas for climate resilience and flood mitigation.
As part of the engagement, ACRC formally requested the recognition of the project by the Agboyi–Ketu LCDA, partnership and executive guidance to enhance its impact, and support in hosting a multi-stakeholder dissemination workshop this month.

Responding, the chairman expressed willingness to participate in and support the proposed stakeholder engagement, indicating that efforts would initially focus on Ajegunle–Ikorodu, with the possibility of scaling up to other affected communities based on outcomes and lessons learned.

Also speaking, Co-Founder of Rethinking Cities, Mr Deji Akinpelu, disclosed plans for a new ACRC-supported study on waste management patterns in Ajegunle–Ikorodu. The three-month survey, he said, will cover five Community Development Associations (CDAs) and aims to identify practical pathways for integrating sustainable waste management practices.

Abubakar welcomed the proposal, describing waste management as a major priority for the LCDA and noting that broader research in the area would be beneficial to local planning and service delivery.
The meeting ended with an agreement in principle on collaboration between ACRC and the Agboyi–Ketu LCDA, continued engagement between both parties, and alignment of research findings with local government development priorities.