The Federal Government has urged Lagos residents to support flood mitigation efforts by avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal into drainage channels, saying poor waste management contributes to urban flooding.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made the call during an assessment visit to flood-prone communities and critical water infrastructure in Lagos.
In a statement on Friday, Utsev said effective flood management required collective responsibility. He urged residents to protect drainage infrastructure and maintain a clean environment.
He said the assessment was part of a nationwide initiative to identify water, sanitation, hygiene and flood-related challenges across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister said the exercise would help the government develop practical and sustainable solutions in collaboration with state governments, development partners and the private sector.
Utsev described Lagos as one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities, noting that developments in the state had significant implications for Nigeria and the continent.
He commended the Lagos State Government, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority for measures aimed at mitigating flooding and improving water resources management.
The minister also commended the Ilubirin Mechanical Pumping Station as a practical engineering solution for managing excess floodwater.
He said comprehensive engineering assessments and designs would guide decisions on the scope, cost and timelines of additional interventions.
Utsev added that the government would explore opportunities for integrating hydropower generation into future water infrastructure projects where technically feasible.
The Director-General of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, said flood mitigation efforts were being guided by scientific forecasts and hydrological data.
Mohammed said the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook projected above-normal rainfall across many parts of the country.
He urged stakeholders to sustain vigilance, early-warning dissemination and proactive responses to minimise the impact of possible flooding.
Also speaking, the Lagos Special Adviser on Environment, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said the state had issued early-warning advisories ahead of the rainy season.
He said the advisories were based on forecasts from agencies including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority.
Rotimi-Akodu said residents in vulnerable communities had been sensitised through conventional and digital media platforms, while the state continued investments in flood-management infrastructure.
He said the Ilubirin Mechanical Pumping Station had helped reduce flooding in parts of Lagos Island.
A resident of Ilo-Awela in Alimosho Local Government Area, Mr Lawal Sunday, appreciated the state government’s previous erosion-control interventions and appealed to the Federal Government to expedite construction of a proposed bridge serving the community.
He said the project would improve access and reduce hardship for residents, while urging continued public enlightenment against indiscriminate waste disposal.
The delegation inspected the Ilubirin Mechanical Pumping Station, the Signal Barracks Primary Drainage Channel in Ajegunle, the System 5 Drainage Channel in Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, the Ilo-Awela River and other flood-related facilities.
