Lagos Residents Count Losses as Flooding Submerges Roads, Houses, Disrupts Businesses

Lagos residents have continued to count losses as heavy rain caused flash floods that submerged homes, roads and disrupted businesses in different parts of the state.

On Tuesday, June 30, thick clouds gathered over parts of Lagos as hours of relentless rainfall pounded the city, transforming major roads into rivers, swallowing residential communities, grounding businesses and leaving thousands of residents counting losses that stretched far beyond damaged property.

The days of persistent torrential downpours climaxed on the night of Sunday, June 28, and continued through Tuesday, causing severe flash floods across both the mainland and island divisions of Lagos State.

Densely populated mainland areas like Gbagada, Oshodi, Somolu, Surulere, Ipaja, Mushin, Egbeda, and Okokomaiko were significantly affected. On the upscale axis, communities along the Lekki corridor—specifically Ajiran, Agungi, Chevron, and parts of Victoria Island—experienced water entering residential homes up to window level.

The flooding caused traffic gridlocks, which held commuters hostage for long hours. It equally led to the closure of schools and the disruption of airlines’ operations at the airport.

Floodwaters threatened to interrupt flight operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s (MMIA) temporary international terminal on Sunday, limiting access to the departure hall, boarding gates, and airline offices. It reached the facility’s powerhouse, resulting in an emergency power outage to prevent a fire outbreak.

Henry Agbebire, spokesperson for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), stated in a statement that the flooding was caused by blockage of drainage around the area by debris from the ongoing reconstruction works. He said emergency steps were swiftly taken to control the situation.

As a result, major foreign airlines were promptly moved to a different terminal to avoid flight cancellations. The FAAN reported that water-clearing teams successfully restored normalcy and resumed terminal operations on Monday.

Aerial videos shared on social media showed roads and residential houses submerged as residents struggled to salvage valuables from the rising water.

Some footage showed motorists abandoning vehicles trapped in floodwaters, commuters wading through waist-deep water to reach safer ground, while traders desperately tried to salvage goods from shops overtaken by rising water.

For many residents, it was another painful reminder that despite repeated promises, flooding remains one of the state’s most persistent urban challenges.

Across several parts of the city, including low-lying neighbourhoods and commercial districts, roads became impassable as drainage systems struggled to cope with the volume of rainwater.

Unlike other years when coastal states experienced floods between September and October, it came early this year.

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had in February warned that Lagos State faced a heightened risk of flooding this year. Also, the Lagos State Ministry of Environment warned that the state might experience heavy rainfall and urged residents to prepare for flooding.

Meanwhile, NiMet has issued a fresh alert, predicting continuous heavy rainfall, which could trigger flash flooding in Lagos and other coastal states.

Apart from extreme weather events like climate change, the cause of the flood, which is considered one of the worst in recent years, has also been attributed to poor urban planning, inadequate drainage infrastructure, and improper waste disposal, which blocks existing drainage channels.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the fact that Lagos is a coastal state makes flooding inevitable in the state and can only be mitigated through a collective effort by the authorities and the residents.

Wahab said extreme weather events caused by climate change led to rainfalls, which produced an unusually high volume of water within a short period, overwhelming drainage channels in some locations and resulting in temporary flooding.

The commissioner, who appeared on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Wednesday, said improper waste disposal aggravates the situation.

According to him, residents drop waste on roads and drainage, which causes obstruction of water channels and eventually flooding whenever there is a heavy downpour.

“We must mitigate the impact of our realities… I won’t say we must always get flooded. Realistically, we can’t run away from flash flooding; however, we as a people should not exacerbate the situation by our own conduct. One of those conducts is improper waste disposal,” the commissioner stated.

He said some persons who felt they were powerful had illegally built structures on wetlands and other unapproved areas, blocking canals and drainage.

He said they resisted and blackmailed the government whenever attempts were made to demolish the illegal structures and restore the affected areas to their original plan.

On waste management, Wahab recalled that there was a culture built during Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, which discouraged indiscriminate waste disposal but has been truncated since 2016. He said efforts were being made through building consensus and other measures to restore that practice for a cleaner Lagos.

Earlier in the week, the commissioner led a team of officials from the Ministry of Environment on an exercise to reopen a blocked drainage channel along Chevron Drive, which he said had been obstructed by Aje Residence Real Estate Agency.

He stressed that the drainage channel is critical to mitigating flooding and protecting the Ajiran community, which was affected in the latest disaster.

The team was initially prevented from carrying out the exercise by the estate agency, which mobilized armed security personnel. However, normalcy was restored following the intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, who directed the immediate withdrawal of the personnel.

Responding to the emergency, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved the immediate dredging and maintenance of 28 additional primary channels across the state.

A statement by the Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, quoted the Commissioner saying that Lagos experiences flooding because it has an extensive network of lagoons, tidal water bodies, rivers and creeks, as well as significantly higher rainfall intensity.

Wahab explained that the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean, Lagos Lagoon and numerous rivers and creeks, particularly during periods of high tide, naturally slows the discharge of stormwater into the sea, resulting in temporary inundation in some low-lying areas whenever exceptionally heavy rainfall occurs.

He disclosed that the state government has installed technology to monitor the sea level and take necessary measures to mitigate any flood disaster going forward.

For families whose homes were submerged, the day quickly turned into an emergency.

Some residents of Ajah and other areas whose homes were submerged by the rampaging flood lamented the impact on their livelihoods.

The residents lamented that the situation has not only affected mobility but has also led to loss of properties and forced some families to relocate.

“We woke up to water inside our sitting room,” said Emeka Ogbonna, a resident of Ajah in a chat with Pinnacle Daily. “Within minutes, it had reached our bedrooms. We spent hours moving furniture and electrical appliances upstairs. Some things couldn’t be saved,” he added.

In a video shared by Arise News, a resident said: “All our water here is blocked. There is no way for water to go for this area.”

She called on the government to help them salvage the situation, adding that the disaster has displaced many residents and thrown them into chaos.

Bola Gabriel, a resident of Iwaya community under Yaba Local Council Development Area, whose house was flooded, said her family members slept in an uncompleted building, highlighting the safety implications.

Businesses Take Another Hit

The flooding dealt a heavy blow to businesses already grappling with rising operating costs, inflation and weak consumer spending.

Footage showed shop owners who watched helplessly as water destroyed their goods worth millions of naira. Restaurants, pharmacies, supermarkets and neighbourhood stores suspended operations because customers simply could not access their premises.

Street traders suffered perhaps the worst fate. Perishable goods, including vegetables, fruits and food items, were washed away as makeshift stalls collapsed under the force of the floodwaters. For many informal traders who depend on daily sales to survive, the losses represented weeks or even months of income.

Commercial transport operators also counted losses as floodwater damaged vehicle engines, while ride-hailing drivers cancelled trips to flooded areas to avoid expensive repair bills.

For employers, the flooding translated into reduced productivity as many workers either arrived several hours late or stayed home altogether.

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In Agungi, a resident, Tosin Kareem, said in an interview with News Central that she cannot go to work because the environment is flooded, highlighting the impact on workplace productivity.

Flooding has become an almost predictable consequence of heavy rainfall in Lagos, exposing the vulnerability of one of Africa’s fastest-growing megacities.

Rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure, blocked canals, indiscriminate waste disposal and widespread construction on natural waterways have combined to increase flood risks.

Environmental experts argue that while climate change has intensified rainfall patterns, much of the destruction stems from decades of poor urban planning and weak enforcement of environmental regulations.

Calls for Lasting Solutions

Residents say emergency responses after each flooding episode are no longer enough.

They are calling for sustained investment in drainage infrastructure, regular desilting of canals, stricter enforcement against illegal structures blocking waterways, improved waste management and better urban planning.

Environmental advocates also stress the importance of early warning systems, public awareness campaigns and stronger collaboration between government agencies and local communities.

While authorities continue to implement flood-control projects across parts of Lagos, residents argue that the pace of intervention has not matched the scale of the challenge.

As another rainy season unfolds, many fear that the latest flooding may be only one of several episodes expected in the coming months.

For thousands of Lagosians, each dark cloud now brings not just the promise of rain, but the anxiety of another day of damaged homes, disrupted livelihoods and mounting economic losses.

Commenting on the disaster, Kafilat Ogbara, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kosofe Federal Constituency, said addressing it requires long-term strategic work for a sustainable environment.

“Tackling it requires long-term vision and a steady hand that looks far beyond today. I remain deeply entrenched in the work of securing our community’s future,” She stated via a post on her X handle.