Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Integrated Social Housing Cooperative Society Ltd, Mr Saheed Adelakun, has fingered poor planning and bad habit as the causes of persistent flooding in Lagos.
Adelakun urged Lagos residents to change their attitude towards infrastructure, saying the habit of dropping refuse indiscriminately must be brought to an end.
He, however, commended the efforts of Lagos State government to deflood some areas, adding that such method could be employed in the Lekki area, which has experienced significant flooding in recent weeks.
He spoke at the fifth edition of Big 5 Construct Nigeria, held at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.
Addressing newsmen, he said: “Unlike Abuja, Lagos was not properly planned. One solution is to destroy Lagos and start all-over, and that is a no-go area. I can see the Lagos State government doing something about flooding. They brought in a machine to deflood certain areas. They can also make that go round, especially in Lekki.
“On the part of residents, they should learn to obey rules and regulations. Our flooding problem is not just infrastructure, it is habit. You finish eating and drop bottles or can anywhere. Where do they end up at the end of the day? We should start by changing our attitude towards infrastructure, and that would solve half of the problem.”
Also speaking, Senior Vice President at DMG Events, organiser of Big 5 Construct, Josine Heijmans, told newsmen that it was the largest construction gathering for everyone in the field of construction.
Heijmans said the event was in alignment with the long-term goals of Nigerian government to develop housing and improve infrastructure.
According to her, “it is for policymakers, architects and engineers. This is the fifth edition and we are very pleased to have a very strong presentation both from local and international suppliers bringing the latest solutions for any part of the construction process.
“Big 5 Construct is a place where people can come to learn best practices. We have seen that there are more and more participants. This year, we have over 160 participants both locally and internationally. Some of the countries represented are Turkey, Italy, Germany, China, to mention a few. We are here to support Nigeria’s long-term goals, be it on housing, infrastructure development and transition.
“It helps to align with the goals of government to develop housing, improve infrastructure. Here, you can find partners to work with on a project, you can find solutions and new technologies.”
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Bifem Paralu, Hady Farhat, said: “We are delighted to be part of Big 5 Construct Nigeria, where we continue to engage with clients, strengthening networks and contributing to the conversations that will define the future of construction in Nigeria.”
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