FG Lagos Joint Flood Defence Plan Targets Drainage, Climate Risks
The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government have unveiled a coordinated strategy aimed at strengthening flood control, improving water infrastructure, and protecting vulnerable communities from recurring disasters, following an extensive assessment of critical flood-prone locations across the state.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said the initiative signals a renewed partnership between both tiers of government to confront the growing threat of flooding through science-driven planning, improved engineering solutions, and sustained investments in resilient infrastructure. Speaking during an inspection of major drainage systems, pumping facilities, and flood-affected communities in Lagos on Thursday and Friday, the minister described the commercial hub as too strategic to Nigeria’s economy to be left vulnerable to the devastating impacts of climate-induced flooding.
Utsev said the assessment exercise would help identify priority projects requiring urgent federal intervention while strengthening collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, the Lagos State Government, development partners, and the private sector. He commended Lagos State, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority for proactive measures already being implemented to minimise flood risks and improve water resources management, singling out the Ilubirin Mechanical Pumping Station on Lagos Island, which channels excess floodwater into the lagoon, as an engineering solution he said deserves replication elsewhere.
The minister identified indiscriminate waste disposal into drainage channels as a major driver of urban flooding and urged residents to protect drainage infrastructure from blockage. He noted that comprehensive engineering assessments and detailed technical designs would be carried out before the scope and cost of any additional interventions are determined.
The coordinated push follows a separate courtesy visit Utsev paid to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Lagos House, Marina, during which both governments agreed to deepen collaboration on climate resilience, urban water sector reforms, and sanitation. During that meeting, Utsev conveyed the Federal Government’s sympathies over recent flooding incidents in Lagos and cited the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency’s Annual Flood Outlook 2026, which identified Lagos as one of 33 states across the country at high risk of flooding this year. He attributed the state’s worsening flood situation to a combination of factors, including its coastal geography, rapid urbanisation, climate change, rising sea levels, and increasingly intense rainfall patterns.
As part of broader federal efforts, Utsev disclosed that the government has launched a National Flood Intelligence Monitoring System alongside a Multi-Hazard Flood Early Warning System, designed to improve forecasting accuracy and strengthen emergency response capacity nationwide.
On the Lagos State side, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Engineer Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said the state government had already issued multiple early warning advisories ahead of the current rainy season, drawing on forecasts from agencies including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. He added that residents in vulnerable communities had been sensitised through both conventional and digital media platforms to prepare for possible flooding, while the state continues to invest in additional flood management infrastructure.
A resident of Ilo-Awela in Alimosho Local Government Area, Mr. Lawal Sunday, expressed appreciation for previous erosion control interventions carried out by the state and appealed for continued federal support to affected communities. Both governments reaffirmed their shared commitment to building a cleaner, healthier, safer, and more climate-resilient Lagos State, cautioning that while further flooding is not being anticipated, prevailing climatic conditions require sustained vigilance and proactive responses from all stakeholders going forward.
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