We’ll Continually Address Flooding Issues Frontally – Lagos State Govt

The Lagos State Government on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to address frontally the menace of flooding by restoring the drainage Right of Ways and putting resilient infrastructure in place across the metropolis.

The State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Barr. Tokunbo Wahab, stated this while addressing the media after an inspection tour around the ongoing 4.2 kilometre concrete lining drainage projects that cut across Ikeja and Kosofe LGA.

Wahab said the project, which was awarded in 2024, will be done in phases, stating that the Sheraton to Ojota Section is 45% completed, while the whole project will be completed in 24 months.

He added that the trapezoidal drain, which is a 25-meter project, would discharge into the downstream, passing through under the new bridge in the Maryland area.

He explained that since the commencement of the rainy season this year, the feedback received from residents across the state has been very heartwarming, stating that this is a result of the continuous all-year-round drainage/canal cleaning and dredging.

He mentioned that the other leg of the project is at the Ogudu Sheet Piling Section, which is the most critical aspect of the project, saying the contractor was advised to have the sheet piles needed in place before the commencement of installation.

“Now there are three legs to the Odo Iyalaro (System 1) project, one is coming from Ogba, another is behind Sheraton and there will be a confluence around that bridge at Maryland. They will start from Sheraton Bridge back to Maryland, and there will be roads constructed on the side by the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the project is expected to be completed in another 24 months”, he said.

He said the Maryland Mende-Arowojobe axis has hitherto experienced flooding, but the government has been able to push back contraventions and re-established the right of way for system 1, and also put in place infrastructure to discharge stormwater to end flooding in the area.

Wahab also visited the Adisa Balogun Channel at Agboyi Ketu LCDA following anonymous information that some people are trying to build on the alignment and the right of way, where he ordered that the property owners be served necessary abatement notice to leave the place immediately.

“We will keep appealing to those in the habit of encroaching on the drainage right-of-way to stop, as we will not hesitate to wield the big stick when necessary”, he said.

Wahab also ordered that some houses around the Ogudu section (Odo-Iya Alaro downstream), observed to be creating illegal refuse dumps, be served notices to desist from the illegal acts.

According to him, “We noticed some houses are already making a makeshift dust bins around their houses; They will be served notices so they can desist; If not we would all wake up one day and just realise there is an illegal dump site around the place and we don’t want that to happen”.

He reiterated that as regards the enforcement of the ban on Single-Use Plastics, the government had done massive advocacy for 18 months and various engagements with stakeholders had been very consistent, saying the enforcement that commenced a few days back was carried out in some markets on the Island and Mainland.

The Commissioner emphasised that the enforcement on SUPs would be a continuous exercise that will get to all markets across the state, whilst the government would also ramp up their advocacy on radio and television as well as on social media.

The team included the Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, Permanent Secretary, Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji and that of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite, MD of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, KAI Corps MARSHAL, Major Olatunbosun Cole (Rtd), GM of LASWMO, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi and other Directors from the Ministry and its Agencies.

The places visited by the team were System 1 (Odo-Iya alaro, Sheraton to Ojota Section; Ogudu, Sheet Pile Section), Agboyi – Ketu (Adisa Balogun) Channel.