Lagos Residents Cry Out as Heavy Rainfall Triggers Severe Citywide Flooding

(Flooding. Photo by Vanguard News)

Residents of Lagos State have taken to the internet to express their displeasure at the floods that have overtaken different parts of the state.

Persistent rainfall since Sunday has caused many to be displaced, schools and workplaces to be shut, among others.

Commenting on the development online on Tuesday, gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, said the flooding being witnessed across Lagos is yet another reminder that waste management, stormwater drainage and urban planning are inseparable, stressing that neglecting one cannot allow the others to function effectively.

He lamented that despite repeated promises, the city continues to flood year after year, with no comprehensive drainage strategy or innovative approach to building a climate-resilient Lagos.

He added that poorly regulated sand filling, unchecked development, the destruction of wetlands, and weak urban planning have displaced several vulnerable communities and exposed millions of residents to damaged homes, ruined vehicles, lost businesses, and reduced productivity.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier forecast that 2026 would witness above-normal rainfall, with Lagos expected to experience a greater impact due to its coastal geography and low-lying terrain.

Several residents shared their frustrations online.

One user lamented that Lagos residents are going through a lot this rainy season, while another shared a video of flooding around the city, expressing alarm that a toddler could be swept away in such conditions.

Another resident recounted narrowly escaping severe flooding along Ikorodu Road by rerouting through Ilupeju and Onipanu, noting that vehicles were lined up and stranded along the way, and blamed roadside vendors for worsening the situation by clogging gutters with waste, urging them to stop selling along the roads.

He added that by the time he rejoined Ikorodu Road, traffic was completely gridlocked, with motorists from Anthony and Obanikoro stuck behind.

Another user disagreed with claims that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway construction was responsible for the flooding, pointing out that Eko Atlantic, which is close to the road, was not flooded, arguing that it did not make sense to blame the road for flooding in areas far removed from it.

Another resident remarked that the Lagos flood situation had become so severe that talk of using canoes during the rainy season, once seen as a joke, now seemed like a real possibility.

Lagos State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, responding online on Monday to suggestions that roadside vendors should be stopped to protect drainage, said Lagosians must take responsibility.

He stated that as a government, efforts have continued to be intensified to mitigate the impact of flooding through the clearing of drainage channels, enforcement against illegal developments obstructing waterways, and other proactive interventions, while appealing to all Lagosians to play their part by refraining from indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal dumping and other activities that obstruct the free flow of stormwater.

He added that given NiMet’s forecast, the risks associated with heavy rainfall remain significant, and that while government will continue to do its part, safeguarding lives and property also requires the cooperation and collective responsibility of every resident.