Lagos flooding politicized, says environment commissioner

Lagos State officials are pushing back against criticism of the city's flood management, with the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, accusing opponents of politicizing the issue. Wahab asserted that ongoing work on drainage channels, wetlands, and floodplains has lessened the impact of heavy rainfall, even with climate change effects.

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Yes, they are politicising it, but that is what they want to do this season. They are not giving this team enough flowers for the work they have been doing. I know the effort they put in day and night.

During an inspection of drainage channels and flood-prone areas, Wahab pointed to improvements in areas like Chevron Drive and Gravitas, where encroachments had been removed. He described how government officials overcame resistance, including armed police, to reopen a channel leading to the lagoon, resulting in "remarkable improvement" within 72 hours for neighboring areas.

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Within 72 hours, we have seen a remarkable improvement in the discharging point of the downstream to salvage what is happening in the Ajiran village and neighbouring places.

Wahab drew a parallel with Ghana's president, suggesting Lagos's flood mitigation efforts over the past three years are now being considered there. He characterized Lagos's flooding as "flash flooding here and there" rather than widespread inundation, emphasizing that the situation quickly resolves. The inspection also aimed to engage residents and identify locations needing permanent engineering solutions, revisiting a site where an illegal reclamation project, blocking a major discharge point, had been halted.

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What we have is not overflowing flooding; it is flash flooding here and there. Time-stamp it and go back there in a few hours.