...Governor says 0.26% of Nigeria’s landmass bears huge population pressure, urges better sanitation and engineering solutions...
By Kayode Olopade
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has pledged joint engineering interventions with the Federal Government to ease water flow along the
Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.
The Governor who said at Lagos House, Marina, when he received the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and members of the National Assembly Committees on Works on a courtesy visit and inspection tour, stated flooding in Lagos is a natural occurrence linked to the state’s coastal terrain and not caused by the ongoing road project.
Sanwo-Olu explained that Lagos occupies less than 0.26% of Nigeria’s total landmass, with one-third of that already taken up by creeks, lagoons and water.
“In this little tiny 0.26% everybody is shifting to have a space, to have a means of livelihood. That is the context and reality of Lagos, so there is a lot of pressure on it,” he said.
He noted that as a coastal city, seasonal flooding should be expected.
“When people say it has flooded, without mixing words, it will flood next year. We just pray it is not too much. It’s like living on the southern coast of America and saying God forbid we won’t see a hurricane. These are natural occurrences,” he said.
The Governor blamed poor social media narratives for exaggerating the problem.
“People are quick. That’s when they take pictures. They don’t take pictures 24 hours later when it has receded. But that is not to take away the fact that when we have problems we are meant to face it and solve it,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu thanked President Bola Tinubu for the coastal highway, saying Lagos has been the first major beneficiary.
“Two years ago they felt it was just political talk. Today human beings are riding on it. We cannot but thank Mr. President,” he said.
On the specific concerns around the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sanwo-Olu said the state and federal government have agreed to provide service lanes and additional drainage to protect residents along the corridor.
“We were in a hurry, a good hurry, to make a positive impression. That was the audacity of Mr. President to say ‘in my first tenure I will do this.’ But now we must accommodate developments that have sprung up,” he said.
“Everybody wants a bridge, you just don’t want it in front of your house. You cannot eat an omelette without breaking the egg. For us to have service lanes, some things will give. It’s land that must be made available.”
He said the service lanes would be about 8-10 meters and would give residents relief without needing to access the main highway directly, stressing that the road must be built high enough to mitigate the ocean surge.
The Governor linked part of the flooding to indiscriminate waste disposal and blocked drainage.
He recalled that Lagos was the first state to ban styrofoam packs due to their environmental impact.
“We are the people who must criticize when people dump refuse in waterways and drainage canals. When rain comes it blocks everything,” he said.
The Governor also said six mechanized sweepers would be deployed to keep the Coastal highway clean.
He also announced an ongoing clearing of the 40km Lagos-Badagry International Corridor to protect the right-of-way of the 10-lane highway.
Earlier, in his remarks Umahi who stated that Coastal Highway Built to Withstand Flooding for thirty Years, said President Tinubu directed the technical assessment following “damaging social media misinformation” linking the coastal highway to flooding.
He also said the highway was constructed at a predetermined reduced level to mitigate ocean flooding for the next 20-30 years, and that flooding existed in the swampy corridor long before construction began.
“The basic objective of governance is the welfare of the people. Beyond the coastal highway, Lagos State Government must take responsibility and the Federal Government as a father must give a helping hand,” Umahi said.
He proposed constructing drainage on both sides of the coastal highway and service lanes, and said stakeholder engagements would hold to address affected structures.
Umahi also commended Lagos for its drainage master plan law that prevents direct discharge into the ocean, noting that over 80% of evacuation channels to the lagoon have been completed.
Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works, Sen. Allwell Onyesoh and Rep. Akin Alabi, assured of continued legislative backing and funding for the President’s legacy road projects.
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