Bad habits, illegal reclamation causing Lagos flooding — Commissioner

Persistent flooding in Lagos is largely due to "bad habits" including illegal land reclamation and indiscriminate waste disposal, according to the state's Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu. He stated that these practices, alongside illegal dredging, continue to undermine efforts to manage water levels in the coastal metropolis.

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It is important to identify what the problem is in the first place, and the problem is nothing other than bad habits.

Bush-Alebiosu explained that while illegal reclamation is driven by commercial interests, poor waste disposal habits stem from residents' attitudes. He highlighted the alarming practice of dumping human waste directly into the lagoon, emphasizing the severe environmental and public health risks. "This is the same lagoon that feeds us," he noted, warning that consuming fish from polluted waters would eventually have negative consequences for the population.

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I mean, illegal reclamation and illegal dredging affect it on one hand; habits affect it on the other hand.

The commissioner's remarks come after recent heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding across Lagos, disrupting transportation, damaging property, and submerging homes. The recurring issue has drawn criticism from residents who have expressed outrage over the government's handling of the situation. Major roads and expressways across the city have been affected, paralyzing commercial activities and daily life for many.

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The first thing is that some people even dump faeces into the lagoon and things like that. This is the same lagoon that feeds us. You know you’re eating fish that’s feeding off faeces.

Bush-Alebiosu's comments aim to identify the root causes of the flooding, urging a change in public behavior and stricter enforcement against illegal development. The state faces a significant challenge in balancing urban development with environmental protection to mitigate the impact of its coastal geography and heavy rainfall.

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So all of these things eventually will come back to bite us, and this is just a typical example of what we’re seeing at the moment.