LASG moves to curb flooding

The Lagos State Government has ramped up measures to mitigate flooding in vulnerable areas, in preparation for heavy rainfall.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, brought this to the fore during an inspection tour of project sites in parts of Lagos Island and Mainland on Wednesday.

The inspection team visited flood-prone areas in Apogbon and Olowogbowo on Lagos Island, where recent construction activities triggered flooding.

Wahab said that a recent flooding in Apogbon was caused by ongoing construction in the area.

He noted that the ministry had engaged with the Federal Government on the solution to the issue, while adding that efforts had commenced to mitigate the issue.

On Olowogbowo, Wahab said that the deteriorating condition of the area prompted the ongoing rehabilitation work, and he said significant progress had been made.

On the System 1 drainage channel, he said that complaints from residents in Sholuyi and Bariga were traced to soil displacement during construction, necessitating a review of the work.

He noted that the System 1 project, first gazetted as a critical pathway to flood control across Ikeja, Maryland, Bariga, Shomolu and adjoining areas, would be completed soon.

He said, “The nature of the soil caused underground movement when sheet piles were installed. That led to a temporary blockage, but we deployed additional equipment to open up the channel.

We are a coastal state. We cannot run away from that reality. But we must manage it. This project will help to mitigate flooding substantially across the mainland.”

Wahab also called on residents to desist from the practice of open defecation and embrace the use of public toilets.

“As part of our sanitation policy and advocacy against open defecation, we are ramping up public toilet infrastructure statewide. We already have over 1,700, and this will add to the number, he said.

Speaking on the proposed MTN Yello Park project in Obalende, Wahab disclosed that the state government had handed over the project with a 21-week completion timeline.

He described the project as part of efforts for urban renewal aimed at transforming the area into a modern recreational hub.

Obalende has been a long time coming. It sits at the heart of what we are trying to do in the use of the environment—how we can compact occupied spaces for proper use and add value.

“They have engaged the transporters and reached an agreement. There will be no permanent displacement, but some temporary inconvenience is inevitable.

“They will be relocated briefly and returned once work progresses. You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs,” he said.