|By Chinwendu Nwani
The Tokunbo Wahab, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, has warned that human interference with natural ecosystems is intensifying flooding across Lagos.
Wahab made the disclosure on Wednesday during a strategic meeting with a disaster risk management team from the World Bank at Alausa.
He stated that although Lagos is naturally prone to flooding as a coastal state, human activities such as building on floodplains, blocking drainage channels, and destroying mangroves have significantly worsened the situation.
According to the commissioner, about 25 percent of Lagos’ landmass is covered by water, while the state is bounded in the south by about 486 kilometres of the Atlantic Ocean, natural conditions that already expose the state to flash floods.
“The state is bounded in the south by 486 kilometres of the Atlantic and about 25 percent of Lagos land is water. These are natural realities that expose the state to flash flooding,” Wahab said.
He explained that mangroves and wetlands serve as natural barriers that protect communities from flooding, but environmental abuse and human encroachment have weakened these natural defences.
Wahab added that the state government continues to issue early warning alerts at the beginning of every year to inform residents about potential environmental risks such as heavy rainfall, sea-level rise, and flooding.
He said the government would issue additional advisories once the rainfall forecast from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency is released later in the month.
The commissioner noted that relevant agencies, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the State Command and Control Centre, would be mobilised to respond to possible emergencies.
Despite ongoing investments in drainage infrastructure and continuous dredging and clearing of primary, secondary, and tertiary channels, Wahab said flooding cannot be completely eliminated.
He explained that heavy rainfall often triggers tidal lock — a situation where stormwater cannot discharge into lagoons or the sea.
“Science has shown that when tidal lock happens, storm water cannot flow out, even with resilient infrastructure and early warning systems,” he said.
Wahab stressed that the Lagos State Government has intensified enforcement of environmental laws to curb practices that aggravate flooding, adding that the state must balance urban development with environmental sustainability.
He also noted that policies such as the ban on single-use plastics were introduced to address environmental challenges, as plastic waste frequently blocks drainage systems and worsens flooding.
“The state chose to ban single-use plastics some time ago even when some countries in Europe had not banned it, but Lagos had to do it because of its peculiar environmental realities,” he added.
Also speaking at the meeting, Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mosope George, said the partnership with the World Bank aims to identify high disaster-risk areas and strengthen the state’s response mechanisms.
Earlier, the World Bank’s Team Lead and Senior Disaster Management Specialist, Francis Nkonka, said the engagement seeks to assess gaps in Lagos State’s emergency preparedness and response systems.
Nkonka revealed that the team had visited fire and rescue agencies across the state and identified challenges related to equipment, facilities, personnel, and data management.
He added that the World Bank plans to support Lagos with technical and investment assistance to improve disaster risk management and emergency response, noting that the state could become a model for other parts of Nigeria.
