The Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, has attributed persistent flooding across the state to poor environmental practices, illegal dredging and unauthorised land reclamation.
Speaking on The Morning Brief programme on Channels Television on Tuesday, Bush-Alebiosu said human activities continue to undermine government efforts to manage flooding in the coastal state.
“It is important to identify what the problem is in the first place, and the problem is nothing other than bad habits.
“I mean, illegal reclamation and illegal dredging affect it on one hand; habits affect it on the other hand,” he said.
According to the commissioner, while illegal reclamation is largely motivated by commercial interests, indiscriminate waste disposal is driven by residents’ behaviour.
“At the end of the day, those who, out of habit, dump refuse aren’t doing it because they want to make money from it. However, those who are reclaiming illegally are doing it for commercial purposes. So, you have both sides,” he added.
Bush-Alebiosu also condemned the dumping of human waste into the lagoon, describing it as both an environmental and public health concern.
“The first thing is that some people even dump faeces into the lagoon and things like that. This is the same lagoon that feeds us. You know you’re eating fish that’s feeding off faeces,” he said.
“So all of these things eventually will come back to bite us, and this is just a typical example of what we’re seeing at the moment.”
The commissioner’s comments come amid recent flooding incidents across several parts of Lagos following sustained rainfall, with residents reporting damaged property, disrupted commercial activities and severe traffic congestion.
The flooding has sparked criticism from residents, many of whom have questioned the government’s handling of drainage infrastructure and flood management.
Areas frequently affected by flooding include Gbagada, Iyana Ipaja, Ikorodu Road, Ikeja, Maryland, Mushin, Ogudu, Lekki, Oshodi, Agege, Alimosho and Obalende. Major highways such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Lekki-Epe Expressway have also experienced flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.
Bush-Alebiosu maintained that addressing the challenge requires not only government intervention but also improved environmental responsibility from residents and stricter enforcement against illegal dredging and land reclamation activities.
