🇳🇬 Lagos Government Urges Residents in Flood-Prone Areas to Relocate as Heavy Rains Threaten Coastal Communities

With Lagos set to receive more rainfall than last year, state authorities have issued evacuation advisories for lowland communities vulnerable to severe flooding.

Zig Diaries Environment
Date: Tuesday, 5 August 2025
Time: 18:45 WAT
Location: 📍Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, has warned residents in areas such as Lekki, Ikorodu, Ajegunle, and Isheri-OPIC to relocate to higher grounds to avoid being caught in seasonal flooding expected to worsen due to climate change.

Amid growing fears after widespread flash floods disrupted daily life in Lagos on Monday, the state government is calling for urgent action from residents living in coastal and lowland zones.

“Those around the Ajilete axis of Lagos, that’s Ajegunle, they have to move. Those around the coastline of Ikorodu; Majidu, have to move. Some areas around the Lekki corridor too, not all,” Wahab said Tuesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He added that while upland areas like Epe, Mushin, and Ikeja are relatively safe, locations such as Isheri in the OPIC axis must remain on alert. The Commissioner’s warning followed a non-stop downpour that began Sunday night and lasted through Monday, leaving major parts of the state flooded.

Viral footage from affected neighborhoods showed submerged homes, floating vehicles, and clogged drainage channels turning roads into canals. The intense flooding halted business operations and paralysed transportation across Nigeria’s commercial capital.

“We won’t tell Lagosians lies. Lagos will be exposed to the vagaries of climate change, and that means Lagos will have flash flooding,” Wahab said. “What we can do is provide resilient infrastructure and encourage people to act responsibly.”

According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Lagos is expected to receive higher-than-normal rainfall this year. The government says it is already working to clear drains and expand flood paths, but residents are being advised to evacuate lowland areas temporarily until rainfall subsides.

🏷️Tags: Lagos Flooding, Climate Change, Tokunbo Wahab, Lekki, Ajegunle, Ikorodu
#LagosFloods #ClimateAlert #TokunboWahab #Environment #ZigDiariesEnvironment