Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday visited flood-affected communities in Eti-Osa Local Government Area to assess the impact of recent flooding and interact with affected residents.
The governor was accompanied by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab, and other members of the Lagos State Executive Council.
Communities visited during the inspection included Ogombo, Monastery Road–Sangotedo, Gbetu, Iwerekun and other parts of the Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area.
The visit comes as Lagos continues to contend with seasonal flooding caused by days of heavy rainfall, with several roads in the affected communities remaining submerged.
During the visit, residents appealed to the state government to implement both immediate relief measures and long-term flood-control projects to enable them to return to their homes, businesses, and normal daily activities.
The Lagos State Government had earlier approved emergency dredging and maintenance of drainage channels across the state to improve water flow and reduce the risk of future flooding.
In a statement issued in June, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab described the recent downpours as an extreme weather event that overwhelmed drainage infrastructure in several parts of Lagos.
“The Lagos State Government on Tuesday called for calm and understanding from residents following the massive flash flooding experienced in many parts of the state over the last two weeks, with the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, approving the immediate dredging and maintenance of 28 additional primary channels across the state.
“The rainfalls were an extreme weather event that produced an unusually high volume of water within a short period, overwhelming drainage channels in some locations and resulting in temporary flooding across parts of Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikeja, Gbagada, Mushin, Mafoluku and several other areas.”
Wahab added that the incident was not unique to Lagos, noting that similar heavy rainfall affected several other African countries and parts of North America during the same period.