Lagos, Nigeria – September 29, 2025
The Lagos State Government has announced a two-year flood management initiative designed to integrate estate lakes, canals, and pumping infrastructure into a coordinated system aimed at reducing flood risks across the city.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the plan on Monday, stating that the strategy will focus on areas most vulnerable to tide-locked flooding.
According to Wahab, the initiative will establish a Blue-Green Network linking estate lakes, canals, and green corridors to temporarily store and gradually release stormwater, easing pressure on drainage systems during heavy rainfall.
The medium-term plan, spanning six to twenty-four months, will include the installation of flap gates and pilot pumps at tide-sensitive outfalls, alongside intensified enforcement of canal rights-of-way.
Wahab also noted that significant maintenance and restoration works have already been carried out on hundreds of kilometers of drainage channels, with additional projects underway to expand the network.
In the longer term, over the next two to eight years, the government intends to develop pumped drainage cells in low-lying basins, restore wetlands, update building codes to mandate on-site stormwater management for new developments, and lock in drainage easements to prevent future encroachments.
The Commissioner emphasized that the project is part of Lagos State’s broader climate resilience strategy, aimed at mitigating the recurrent flooding challenges that affect residents and infrastructure across the coastal city.
