The Lagos State Government has attributed the recurring flooding across the state to illegal land reclamation, unauthorised dredging and poor environmental sanitation practices by residents.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, where he said human activities continue to undermine efforts to tackle flooding in the coastal state.
According to the commissioner, poor environmental habits remain one of the major causes of flooding.
“It is important to identify what the problem is in the first place, and the problem is nothing other than bad habits,” he said.
“I mean, illegal reclamation and illegal dredging affect it on one hand; habits affect it on the other.”
Bush-Alebiosu explained that while illegal land reclamation is driven by commercial interests, indiscriminate waste disposal by residents also contributes significantly to blocked drainage channels and flooding.
“Those who dump refuse aren’t doing it because they want to make money from it. However, those who are reclaiming illegally are doing it for commercial purposes. So, you have both sides,” he said.
He also condemned the practice of disposing of human waste into the lagoon, warning that it poses serious environmental and public health risks.
“Some people even dump faeces into the lagoon. This is the same lagoon that feeds us. You’re eating fish that feed off faeces. All of these things will eventually come back to bite us, and this is a typical example of what we’re seeing at the moment,” he said.
Lagos has witnessed heavy rainfall in recent weeks, resulting in flooding in several parts of the state, disrupting movement and leaving many residents stranded.
Videos and photographs of flooded roads and neighbourhoods have circulated widely on social media, with residents calling on the government to intensify efforts to address the recurring challenge.
