Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Minister of Works David Umahi have dismissed claims that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project is responsible for recent flooding in parts of Lagos.

The two officials spoke on Monday during a courtesy visit by the minister and members of the National Assembly to the Lagos State Government.

Umahi said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed him to inspect the project following widespread social media claims that the coastal highway had worsened flooding across the state.

The minister said the inspection found no evidence linking the highway to the flooding, insisting that the claims were false and misleading.

“We were concerned about the negative narrative on social media claiming that the coastal highway caused flooding in Lagos. The President directed us to come with members of the National Assembly to assess the situation ourselves,” Umahi said.

He explained that the highway was deliberately constructed above flood level to withstand tidal surges and protect the corridor from flooding for the next 20 to 30 years.

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According to him, many of the affected communities are naturally swampy, while buildings erected below approved flood elevations remain vulnerable regardless of the road project.

Umahi noted that flooding had also been recorded in several other parts of the country, adding that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had earlier forecast heavy rainfall and possible flooding in at least 22 states.

The minister commended the Lagos State Government’s drainage master plan, revealing that more than 80 percent of the drainage channels discharging into the lagoons had already been completed.

He said the Federal Government would collaborate with the state to construct additional drainage infrastructure and service lanes along the coastal highway, although some structures would have to be removed to pave the way for the projects.

Umahi added that the government would engage affected communities while installing modern infrastructure along the corridor, including surveillance cameras, wind-monitoring stations, parking facilities and tourism amenities.

 

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Lagos Is a Coastal City

Speaking during the visit, Governor Sanwo-Olu said flooding remains an environmental reality because of Lagos’ unique geography and should not be blamed solely on the coastal highway.

“Lagos is a coastal city. When people say Lagos has flooded, without mincing words, we will always experience some level of flooding. We only pray that it will not be severe,” the governor said.

He explained that Lagos occupies less than 0.4 percent of Nigeria’s landmass, with nearly one-third of its territory covered by water, making seasonal flooding inevitable during periods of intense rainfall.

Sanwo-Olu said while heavy downpours could temporarily overwhelm drainage systems, floodwaters often recede within a short time.

He also accused some social media users of circulating images captured during peak flooding to exaggerate the extent of the situation.

The governor blamed indiscriminate waste disposal for worsening flooding, saying blocked drainage channels remain one of the leading causes of urban flooding across the state.

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He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enforcing environmental regulations, including the ban on styrofoam, while introducing additional measures to protect drainage infrastructure.

“We cannot allow social media to define who we are. That does not mean we ignore our challenges. Whenever there are problems, we must confront them and solve them, but we must also understand the realities of our environment,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state had commenced a clean-up of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and recently signed an agreement with a mechanised street-cleaning company to deploy six-lane sweeping machines for the daily maintenance of the coastal highway.

He also revealed that service roads would be built alongside the highway to improve access for residents and businesses, although some properties would be affected by the expansion.

The governor described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a transformative national infrastructure project that would stimulate economic growth, improve connectivity and enhance the quality of life for Nigerians.