By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has faulted the comments made by the Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, on recent flash floods in the state, describing them as politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Wahab said the Labour Party candidate’s remarks were “simplistic” and aimed more at seeking attention than providing solutions.
“While we were busy working on immediate, short, medium, and long-term solutions to the recent flash flooding in some parts of Lagos, my attention was drawn to a simplistic suggestion by Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour—an idea driven more by political correctness and cheap attention-seeking than genuine problem-solving,” Wahab stated.
He explained that Lagos, like Venice, Amsterdam, Bangkok, and Jakarta, is an aquatic city prone to flooding due to its low-lying terrain and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. According to him, the floods in Lekki were a “compound event” caused by heavy downpours coinciding with high tides, a phenomenon known as tide-locking.
“When the sea level is high, water cannot leave our drains quickly, and streets hold water for a few hours before it recedes. Outfalls that connect drains to the lagoon cannot empty fast, so water backs up. This is the reality of coastal cities worldwide,” he said.
Wahab outlined the state’s flood management strategy as a three-part approach: temporary water detention, moving water through wider and clearer channels, and controlling backflow with one-way valves and pumps.
He highlighted ongoing efforts, including:
Maintenance of 579 km of secondary collectors and 309 km of primary channels.
Clearing of 444 km of drains by rapid-response teams.
Restoration of 40.3 km of encroached channels.
Construction of 218 new drainage channels, which will add 1,500 km when completed.
The commissioner also revealed that pumps are being installed in flood-prone areas, with the first installation undergoing testing at Ilubirin on Lagos Island. Near-term actions include intensified silt clearance, installation of debris screens, and pilot estate lakes for water detention.
Medium- to long-term plans, according to Wahab, involve creating a Lekki Blue-Green Network, installing flap gates at tide-sensitive outfalls, restoring wetlands, and updating building codes to mandate on-site stormwater retention in new projects.
He further stressed the role of proper waste management in reducing flood risks, noting that Lagos has banned Styrofoam and begun enforcement of single-use plastic restrictions. Waste-to-energy projects, material recovery facilities, and 15,000 street sweepers are also part of the broader flood mitigation strategy.
“Floods are driven by physics, not politics,” Wahab said. “Our plan is to store, move, and control water—supported by maintenance, enforcement, early warning, and clear public metrics—so that heavier-than-usual rainfall plus high tide no longer means disruption for Lagosians.”
Citing global flood events in Japan, Florida, and Western Europe, he stressed that climate change, not politics, is the real driver of extreme weather conditions.
“Obviously, attending an Ivy League school is not a conferer of intelligence,” Wahab added in a swipe at Rhodes-Vivour.
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