Flooding: Lagos mobilises emergency teams ahead of major rainfall

Lagos State Government has reiterated its preparedness to manage the heavy rainfall and flooding expected in 2025, particularly in vulnerable areas on the Island.

According to the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who during the inspection of the ongoing Lagos Island Urban Regeneration Project, assured residents that proactive steps were underway.

Wahab noted that the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG) had been fully mobilized to operate year-round, focusing on desilting blocked drainages, clearing canals, and addressing flood-prone areas.

‘We are not treating this as business as usual. Our drainage clearing and urban regeneration projects on Lagos Island and other flood-prone areas are in top gear,” he said.

This follows the report by Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, which listed Lagos State among states at high risk of severe flooding during its 2025 Annual Flood Outlook.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev urged residents in Lagos Island, Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikoyi,and Ajah, to prepare for severe flooding due to heavy rainfall, rising sea levels and overstretched urban drainage infrastructure.

For many Lagosians it is not an unfamiliar dread because the city is perched precariously on the Atlantic coast, and has witnessed repeated flood disasters over the years, which has damaged properties, paralysed businesses and displaced many families.

In 2012 when Lagos experienced severe flooding following torrential rains in July, major streets such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Ozumba Mbadiwe and Marina on the Island were completely submerged.

Businesses were forced to close, while vehicles and pedestrians alike were stranded for hours in waist-deep water.

He further appealed to residents to cooperate with government agencies by avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal, which contributes to drainage blockage.