• Roads, homes, markets submerged, residents stranded
• Govt blames flash flooding, urges calm, proper waste disposal
• Floods revive concerns over drainage, planning, environmental resilience
• Lagosians demand lasting solutions to waste, drainage challenges

Residents of Lagos endured a difficult day yesterday after torrential rainfall on Sunday triggered widespread flooding across several parts of the state, submerging roads and homes, disrupting businesses and transportation, and leaving many stranded.

The flooding, which affected several major roads and residential communities, renewed concerns over the effectiveness of drainage maintenance, waste management and urban planning in Africa’s largest city as the peak of the rainy season approaches.

Some of the worst-hit areas included Oshodi, the underpass at Apakun Bridge along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Opeki Road in Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Abesan Estate, Ilupeju Road, Mushin, Fashoro Street in Surulere, Akowonjo Road in Egbeda, Gbagada Expressway, Idi-Oro, Ikorodu and parts of Lekki.

In several locations, homes and shops were flooded, while motorists were trapped for hours in gridlock. In Ipaja, residents were seen holding one another’s hands as they waded through floodwaters to avoid being swept away by strong currents.

Many residents also remained indoors for fear of being caught in the flood.

One resident, who identified herself simply as Bolanle, expressed frustration over the recurring flooding in her estate.

“Should I be worried? This is getting out of hand. I am not going out of my house for two days straight—no Uber, and I’m not driving,” she said, wondering aloud whether relocating to Bode Thomas on the Mainland would be a safer option.

The flood also disrupted commercial activities across the state, with several markets unable to open for business.

A trader, Sunday Umeh, said he stayed away from his shop because he was uncertain whether the roads were passable.

“The rain fell yesterday, so I decided not to come out because of reports about how flooded the roads were,” he said.

Similarly, clothing seller Paul Arinze said floodwater entered his shop during Sunday’s downpour but caused only minor damage.

“We were able to clean up because the water inside the shop was not as bad as what was on the road. We have also raised the frontage of the shop with blocks because flooding happens almost every year here,” he said.

Transportation was equally affected as floodwater and debris covered sections of a railway track, forcing a train to slow down.

Flooding also disrupted activities around the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, with parts of the international terminal temporarily affected.

Residents in Lekki experienced severe traffic congestion as flooded roads made movement difficult, while many businesses suspended operations as property owners battled to prevent floodwater from damaging their belongings.

Beyond the immediate disruption, many residents observed that communities previously unaffected by flooding were inundated for the first time, raising fresh concerns about the city’s environmental resilience.

Social activist Scot Iguma described the flooding as an emergency requiring urgent government intervention.

“The flooding that we’ve been seeing recently is not normal. It is no longer just flash flooding but an existential threat.”

This is a life-threatening situation and we need to treat it as an emergency,” he said.

He urged the Lagos State Government to halt indiscriminate land reclamation and reconsider the structure of its environmental management agencies.

“I will advise the government to separate the Ministry of Environment from Water Resources because the environmental and flooding crises have become too enormous for one office to manage effectively,” he said.

He also advised residents of flood-prone communities, particularly Lekki, to remain vigilant and dispose of waste responsibly.

Reacting to the flooding, another resident, Tito Ipinmoye, blamed indiscriminate refuse disposal for worsening the situation.

“Large parts of the Netherlands are below sea level, yet they don’t flood every time it rains because people don’t block drainage systems with rubbish. Lagos has a people-living-in-Lagos problem. Regardless of tribe, Lagosians collectively must improve their waste disposal habits,” he said.

Responding to public concerns, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, urged residents not to panic, describing the incident as flash flooding that would naturally recede after the rainfall.

He explained that such flooding is common in coastal cities during periods of intense rainfall, especially when high lagoon water levels temporarily prevent stormwater from draining into the lagoon until the tide subsides.

According to him, the state government has continued year-round drainage maintenance and flood control projects while investing in drainage infrastructure and strengthening environmental law enforcement.

He, however, appealed to residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels and desist from illegal developments on wetlands and drainage setbacks.

The flooding came barely two weeks after the Lagos State Government warned residents about the likelihood of heavy rainfall, flash floods and rising water levels across several parts of the state.

Based on predictions by the Federal Ministry of Environment, the government identified Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Lekki, Ojo, Orile-Agege, Surulere, Agege, Alimosho and Kosofe as high-risk flood zones, urging residents to identify evacuation routes and avoid activities capable of obstructing drainage channels.

The latest flooding has also reignited debate over Lagos’ growing waste management challenges.

Once regarded as one of Africa’s cleanest megacities under a well-organised waste collection system, Lagos now faces mounting environmental concerns, with heaps of refuse increasingly visible along major roads, highways and in residential communities.

Many residents say irregular waste collection has forced households to store refuse indoors for days, and sometimes weeks, while environmental experts argue that blocked drainage channels have significantly worsened flooding across the city.

Although the government has established a special environmental enforcement unit to arrest offenders involved in indiscriminate waste disposal, industry stakeholders insist that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.

Interviews with Private Sector Participants (PSPs), waste management experts, former officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and the agency’s current management indicate that the sector is grappling with inadequate disposal infrastructure, operational bottlenecks, policy inconsistency and leadership challenges.

For many residents, Sunday’s flooding has once again highlighted the urgent need for sustainable drainage infrastructure, efficient waste management and stricter compliance with environmental regulations if Lagos is to effectively confront the growing threat posed by increasingly intense rainfall.