The Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works have dismissed claims that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway caused the recent flooding in parts of Lagos, describing the allegation as misinformation spread on social media.
Speaking during an inspection of the highway project with members of the National Assembly, Minister of Works Dave Umahi said the visit was ordered by President Bola Tinubu following widespread claims linking the road project to the flooding. Umahi maintained that the highway was designed to improve drainage and withstand coastal flooding, not to cause it. He added that flooding had been recorded in several states and had been forecast in many parts of the country before the heavy rains.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said Lagos is naturally prone to flooding because of its coastal geography, noting that about one-third of the state’s land area is covered by water. He explained that intense rainfall can temporarily overwhelm drainage systems but insisted this should not be blamed on the coastal highway project.
Umahi also attributed flooding in some areas to blocked drainage channels, encroachment on natural waterways, and the non-implementation of aspects of Lagos’ drainage master plan. He said the Federal Government would work with Lagos State on additional drainage infrastructure and that some structures obstructing flood channels might have to be removed
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