The Lagos State Government has directed residents of the low parts of Lekki, Ajegunle, and Ikorodu to move to higher ground as more rain is expected in the days ahead.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in the state, gave the advice while featuring on Politics Today on Channels Television on Tuesday, August 5.
The commissioner said his advice was based on the background of the forecasts of more rainfall with the attendant risk of flooding in low-lying areas.
Without mincing words, Wahab said those in Ajilete in Ajegunle and those living along the Ikorodu coastline, such as Majidun, have to move urgently.
He said those in some parts of Lekki will also have to move.
The commissioner called for vigilance among those living in Isheri, in the OPIC area. He thumbed up areas like Mushin, Epe, and Ikeja as relatively safe from drastic flooding.
It would be recalled that the rains of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday left many homes drenched in floodwater in Ikorodu and Lekki.
Social media is replete with videos of homes severely flooded during or after the rain.
Wahab said the incident did not come as a surprise, as it had been predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). The agency, he said, projected heavier rainfall for Lagos in 2025 compared to previous years.
He advised that everyone in the lowlands of Lagos needs to move to upland areas for the duration of the anticipated heavy rains.
The commissioner said Lagos was bound to be susceptible to the effects of the change in climate, including flash flooding. This, he said, was because the city was on a coastline..
He said the state government was proactively addressing the challenge through the enhancement of public infrastructure and the sensitisation of the public.
The commissioner announced that the government was expanding flood channels and actively removing all obstructions on the drainage systems to facilitate water flow and reduce the incidence of flooding.
He said the government was committed to protecting the lives and property of the citizens of the state.
See a clip of a submerged home in Ijede, Ikorodu, here.
