Lagos State Removes 1,544 Structures to Combat Flooding

The Lagos State government has successfully removed 1,544 illegal structures that obstruct drainage channels across the city as part of its efforts to tackle flooding. This initiative, conducted by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and the Lagos State Drainage Enforcement Compliance Department, identified a total of 2,218 structures that were found to obstruct drainage alignment.

The removal of these structures achieved a success rate of approximately 70%, with around 674 structures remaining to be addressed. The ministry did not provide a timeline for the removal of the remaining structures.

The annual press briefing, held by Bagauda Kaltho at the Alausa Press Centre, highlighted that flooding in Lagos is primarily caused by heavy rainfall, which regularly inundates communities and damages roads. The ministry plans to award a contract in April 2025 for the construction of 100 kilometers of new secondary collector drains and 30 kilometers of primary channels to significantly expand the city's drainage capacity.