The Lagos State Government has instructed residents of low-lying and flood-prone communities to move to higher ground after the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency issued a new seven-day flood alert.
According to the government, this step was essential to avert the loss of lives and property.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this known in a statement released on Monday by the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina.
The state government stated that the alert, issued over the weekend, covers Lagos and 14 other states, with at-risk areas in Lagos including Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Oke-Ira Nla in Ajah, Kirikiri, Ilaje Waterfront Jetty, and Jetty Terminal B.
Wahab said the government was taking the NiHSA flood advisory extremely seriously and had stepped up monitoring across the identified locations as well as in other riverine, low-lying, and flood-prone communities.
He called on residents not to wait for floodwaters to rise before acting, emphasizing that early preparation and temporary relocation could avert the loss of lives and property.
“We are urging Lagosians, particularly those living in flood-prone and low-lying areas, not to take this warning lightly. When the signs point to danger, the safest decision is to move early. No property is worth risking a life,” Wahab stated.
The commissioner advised residents of flood-prone communities to relocate to higher ground and stay there until the peak of the recurring rainy season had passed.
He urged communities along the Ogun River and other major waterways to be extra cautious, noting that rainfall intensity and rising water levels in connected river systems could impact downstream communities in Lagos.
Wahab listed Isheri North, Kara, Itowolo, Ajegunle, Majidun, Ogolonto, parts of Agboyi, and other settlements downstream of Isheri Olofin among the communities that should remain on high alert between September 19 and 25.
He also advised residents living near rivers, lagoons, wetlands, drainage channels, and other water bodies to keep an eye on official flood forecasts and be ready to relocate temporarily when flooding becomes imminent.
According to the commissioner, the NiHSA report warned that rising river levels could flood vulnerable communities and affect critical facilities, including schools, healthcare centers, markets, farms, and places of worship.
Wahab called on affected local governments, emergency management agencies, community leaders, and residents to activate early-warning and response mechanisms.
He urged them to move people, livestock, and valuable possessions to safer locations where necessary.
The commissioner said the state government would keep monitoring river levels, rainfall patterns, and other hydrological developments together with relevant federal agencies.
He added that routine cleaning, maintenance, and monitoring of drainage infrastructure across the state would also continue.
Wahab appealed to residents to support the government’s flood mitigation efforts by not dumping refuse in drains, canals, and waterways, noting that blocked drainage channels could worsen flooding and delay the recession of floodwaters.
He also warned residents against walking or driving through flooded roads, bridges, and fast-moving water, urging those in vulnerable areas to arrange temporary relocation whenever official warnings indicated an imminent threat.
The commissioner stressed that protecting lives and property remained the government’s foremost priority and urged residents to treat flood forecasts as critical safety information requiring immediate action.
He assured Lagos residents that the government would continue to deploy measures to reduce flood risks and provide timely updates as the situation evolved.
More than 8,000 communities and 4,500 schools across 15 states are at risk of flooding between September 19 and 25, according to the latest National Flood Advisory issued by the NHSA.
The agency had cautioned that swelling river levels might cause flooding in at-risk communities, putting schools, healthcare facilities, markets, religious buildings, and farmlands at risk of possible inundation. ↻
The agency had named states such as Imo, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Benue, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Enugu, Bayelsa, Kogi, Abia, Taraba, Rivers, and Lagos as those most likely to be affected.
