Bode George Blames Lagos Flooding on Lagoon Reclamation

(Bode George. Photo Credit: TheCable)

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, has attributed persistent flooding in parts of Lagos to what he described as indiscriminate and greedy sand-filling of the Lagos Lagoon.

Speaking during an interview with real estate expert Femi Rogers, shared online on Thursday, George explained that large portions of Ikoyi and Lekki were originally surrounded by water before extensive land reclamation altered the natural landscape, adding that the environmental consequences of these reclamation projects are now becoming evident.

He recalled that the entire stretch of Ikoyi up to Falomo used to be sand-filled land, lamenting the absence of proper documentation of that history, admitting that even he struggles to recall the full details given the lack of records.

He noted that the Lekki villages existed long before the extensive sand-filling that eventually connected the area to Ikoyi, explaining that the entire stretch was originally water.

George warned that excessive land reclamation has significantly diminished the lagoon’s capacity to absorb stormwater, worsening flooding across the state.

He expressed concern that the lagoon has been sand-filled to an excessive degree, noting that around the IBB Bridge, the lagoon’s water level now sits higher than the road itself, a situation he said has reversed the natural drainage pattern and made it difficult for rainwater to flow into the lagoon.

He explained that rainwater is naturally meant to drain into the lagoon, but that greedy sand-filling has narrowed its capacity, with property developers focused on building waterfront estates without regard for the environmental consequences.

He added that without mechanical pumping systems, floodwater would continue accumulating on roads, since the lagoon now sits above the level of surrounding infrastructure, questioning how rainwater could possibly flow into the lagoon without such intervention.

He cited the Obalende Canal as an example, noting that during the rainy season, the area is often submerged in water, along with roads across the state.