Several communities in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital, experienced severe flooding on Monday after continuous rainfall that began at midnight on Sunday and persisted into the evening.
Viral videos captured submerged homes and vehicles in Ijede, Ikorodu. Other coastal and flood-prone areas such as Lekki, parts of Eti-Osa, Ajegunle, Agege, Surulere, and Alimosho also suffered heavily, with residents cautiously wading through waterlogged streets and roads, overwhelmed by clogged drains and canals.
The flooding paralysed trade and disrupted economic activities across the city. Many residents took to social media to appeal for assistance.
Movement was significantly affected as motorists avoided flooded roads to prevent their vehicles from being submerged.
Similarly, flooding struck several communities in Niger State following heavy rainfall, washing away farmlands in Lapai, Paikoro, and Mokwa Local Government Areas. Just last week, floods submerged eight communities in Adamawa State, located in Nigeria’s North-East.
We have seen the trending video and fully understand the concerns it has raised. I want to assure all residents of Ikorodu that the ongoing drainage project in that area, awarded by Governor @jidesanwoolu , is designed to provide a permanent solution to the problem.
In the… pic.twitter.com/bfjqlpu7CS
— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) August 4, 2025
Lagos Government Urges Calm
In a statement on Monday, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, sympathised with affected residents and assured them that the state had resilient infrastructure in place to address flash flooding.
He referenced a new weather advisory from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, warning of more heavy rainfall and thunderstorms over the next three days.
“Some areas of the state may experience flash floods due to the inability of major drains to handle the volume of runoff from the intense rainfall,” Wahab said.
He highlighted Lagos’s vulnerability as a coastal city affected by climate change and urged residents not to panic.
Wahab also advised parents and guardians to closely monitor their children during the holiday period and discouraged outdoor play during this risky time.
He warned against dumping refuse into drainage systems during rainfall, noting that such actions cause blockages and increase the risk of flash floods. He emphasised that the state would continue year-round drainage maintenance to manage runoff from heavy rain.