Lagos Flooding Not Caused By Coastal Highway, Sanwo-Olu, Umahi Insist

July 07, () — Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, have insisted that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is not responsible for the recent flooding recorded in parts of Lagos, dismissing social media claims linking the project to the inundation as false and misleading.

The position was made known on Tuesday during an inspection of the coastal highway by Umahi and members of the National Assembly, a visit he said was directed by President Bola Tinubu following widespread online reports alleging that the road project had disrupted the state’s natural drainage system.

Addressing journalists after the inspection, Umahi said the assessment showed there was no evidence that the coastal highway caused flooding, noting that the affected communities had always been flood-prone because of their low-lying terrain.

He explained that the highway was deliberately constructed above existing ground level to withstand ocean surges and provide long-term protection against coastal flooding, adding that the engineering design factored in climate change projections over the next 20 to 30 years.

“We were concerned about the negative narrative on social media claiming that the Coastal Highway caused flooding in Lagos. Mr President directed us to come with members of the National Assembly to verify the situation ourselves,” the minister said.

According to Umahi, flooding was experienced across several states during the current rainy season and had already been forecast in at least 22 states, stressing that buildings erected below approved flood levels would continue to be vulnerable irrespective of the highway project.

He commended the Lagos State Government’s drainage master plan, noting that more than 80 per cent of the major drainage channels designed to discharge stormwater into the lagoons had already been completed.

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government would collaborate on the construction of additional drainage channels and service roads along both sides of the highway to improve flood control and accessibility.

He, however, acknowledged that some structures would be affected by the expansion, assuring that extensive stakeholder consultations would be carried out before any demolition.

Umahi also revealed plans to equip the highway corridor with modern infrastructure, including surveillance cameras, wind monitoring stations, parking facilities, and tourism infrastructure, while promising strict development control to preserve the integrity of the project.

Speaking during the visit, Sanwo-Olu said that attributing flooding in Lagos to the coastal highway ignored the environmental realities of a city surrounded by water.

He noted that Lagos occupies less than 0.4 per cent of Nigeria’s landmass, with about one-third of the state covered by water, making seasonal flooding an unavoidable feature of life in the coastal megacity.

“Lagos is a coastal city. We will always experience some level of flooding. The important thing is to ensure that the floodwater recedes quickly through effective drainage infrastructure,” the governor said.

Sanwo-Olu argued that intense rainfall could temporarily overwhelm drainage systems anywhere in the world but maintained that floodwaters in many affected areas of Lagos receded shortly after the rains.

He criticised social media users for circulating photographs taken during peak flooding without showing that the water had subsided hours later, saying such posts created a distorted impression of the situation.

The governor nevertheless admitted that flooding remained a major environmental challenge and blamed indiscriminate refuse disposal and blocked drainage channels for worsening the problem.

He recalled the state’s ban on styrofoam and disclosed that additional environmental regulations would soon be introduced to curb activities that obstruct drainage systems.

Sanwo-Olu also announced that the state had commenced a major clean-up of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor and engaged a mechanised street-cleaning company to deploy specialised six-lane sweeping machines for the daily maintenance of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Describing the project as a transformative national asset, the governor said what many initially dismissed as a political promise had become a reality, with sections already open to motorists.

He added that the planned service roads would improve access for adjoining communities and businesses while protecting the main carriageway, although some structures might have to be removed to accommodate the supporting infrastructure.

Both officials urged Nigerians to disregard claims that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway triggered flooding in the state, maintaining that the project was designed to strengthen flood resilience, improve connectivity, and support long-term economic development.