Lagos Commissioner’s Flood Statement Draws Criticism Over Drainage, Urban Planning, and Enforcement

A statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on the flash floods that disrupted parts of the city on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, has triggered widespread debate on X (formerly Twitter). While Wahab expressed sympathy to affected residents and outlined the government’s interventions, many Lagosians used the opportunity to question urban planning practices, weak regulatory enforcement, and what they described as the repeated use of Lagos’ coastal location as an excuse.

Posting from his verified X account at 9:00 a.m. the following day, Wahab assured residents that the government remained committed to tackling flooding. He noted that Lagos, as a coastal city, is naturally vulnerable to flash floods during heavy rainfall, especially when combined with tidal lock. He highlighted technical challenges in areas such as Kusenla, where downstream water levels are higher than the drainage outlet and require pumping stations.

He also blamed environmental infractions, including construction on floodplains and refuse dumped into drains, particularly around the House on the Rock church. Wahab stressed that citizen cooperation was vital, insisting that illegal reclamations and obstructions without proper clearance would be removed. He ended his message with reassurance that the flooding had receded by Wednesday morning and that the Ministry would continue to strengthen flood management systems. The post, tagged #CleanerLagos, quickly went viral and had been viewed over 150,000 times by the afternoon.

The public response, however, reflected frustration more than sympathy. Several X users dismissed the explanation of Lagos as a coastal city as an overused narrative. They argued that decades of regulatory neglect had allowed indiscriminate building on floodplains, with both state and local authorities failing to enforce planning rules. Others pointed to global practices, noting that in developed countries residents are discouraged from concreting entire compounds without permits, since impermeable surfaces reduce infiltration, increase runoff, and worsen urban flooding.

A recurring theme in the replies was the need for consistent maintenance of drainage channels. One user remarked that ensuring drainages remain functional is hardly “rocket science,” suggesting that the impact and severity of flooding could be drastically reduced if existing infrastructure was properly managed. Another lamented that communities such as Gbetu Iwerekun in Ibeju Lekki have suffered without adequate drainage for more than 15 years, with no intervention from the Ministry despite repeated flooding. Similar complaints emerged from Abule Egba, where residents accused illegal construction of worsening erosion and appealed directly to the Commissioner to act.

The reactions also questioned the government’s framing of flooding as primarily a coastal issue. Many residents insisted that Lagos suffers just as much from urban flooding, pointing to the fact that large sections of the Island have been paved over with concrete, preventing rainwater from infiltrating the ground and forcing it onto the streets. This, they argued, would have caused flooding even if Lagos were not located on the coast.

Others recalled earlier promises that demolishing illegal structures on the Island would end flooding. They asked why floods persist despite those demolitions and wondered whether more buildings would be marked down in future. The pointed nature of these comments suggested a lingering distrust of government assurances, as residents demanded clearer long-term strategies rather than episodic interventions after each flood event.

The Commissioner’s message was intended to reassure, but the replies highlight a more complex reality. Lagosians  want measurable outcomes, stronger regulation, and accountability for communities long left vulnerable.