Lagos Floods Paralyse Businesses and Traffic After Heavy Downpour

Vehicular and commercial activities were disrupted across parts of Lagos State on Wednesday following hours of heavy rainfall that triggered flash floods in several communities. The downpour left flood-prone areas such as Maryland, Lekki, Ogba, and Ikorodu submerged, with residents and business owners counting losses as homes, shops, and even places of worship were overrun.

In Maryland, an overflowing canal cut off access to the adjoining Mende community. A resident, Chinasa Nnadi, described the situation as recurring and frustrating, saying it has made life unbearable for those living in the area. “This has been happening for years now and it is very hard for vehicles to go in or out of there. People even swim to their houses. Some will even relocate because of the flood,” she said.

Business owners were not spared either. Kalu, who has lived in the area for three years, explained how water flowed into his shop, destroying goods. In the same community, Christiana, a church member, lamented that their worship centre was inundated, leaving musical instruments badly damaged. “We will have to spend lots of money either to fix or replace them,” she said.

The floods worsened gridlock across Lagos as motorists and pedestrians were stranded on major roads. Some vehicles broke down on waterlogged streets, particularly around the Ogba-Wempco junction, where traffic stretched for hours. Commuter Tunji Abass narrated how he spent longer time in traffic, noting that the problem had become routine during the rainy season. Another resident, Victor Obinna, said he often sleeps in his office in Ikate whenever it rains to avoid being trapped in gridlock.

Videos shared on social media showed flooded roads and communities in Ikorodu and Lekki. The economic cost of such flooding is estimated at billions of naira annually, with homes, vehicles, shops, and man-hours lost to disruptions. Public health also remains at risk, with stagnant waters increasing the chances of waterborne diseases.

Reacting to the incident, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, sympathised with residents and assured that the government was investing in drainage infrastructure, desilting, and enforcement of environmental laws. He explained that flooding in the Kusenla area of Lekki was caused by a technical challenge, while flooding near House on the Rock was linked to illegal constructions on floodplains and indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

Wahab added that the government had awarded a project to construct a pumping station to address the issue in Lekki. “Clear infractions were observed in some of the videos shared yesterday. The state government will ensure that illegal structures, obstructions, and reclamations without proper approvals are promptly removed,” he said. He further appealed to residents to avoid blocking drains, dumping refuse, and building on floodplains, stressing that such practices worsen the impact of heavy rainfall.

The commissioner also assured that Wednesday’s flooding was a flash flood that had receded by Thursday morning, adding that efforts were ongoing to strengthen Lagos’ flood management system.