Heavy rainfall on Monday brought parts of Lagos to a standstill, leaving many commuters stranded, forcing residents to wade through floodwaters and triggering sharp increases in transport fares.
Residents, who spoke in separate interviews with NAN in Lagos, described the downpour as one of the heaviest in recent weeks, saying it disrupted movement, delayed businesses and reduced productivity.
For many commuters, the journey to work became an exhausting struggle through flooded roads, gridlocked highways and overcrowded buses.
Mrs Odion Okiade, a resident of Alimosho axis, said rainy days had become more expensive as transport operators often took advantage of the situation to increase fares.
“My transport fare increases by at least N1,500 whenever it rains. Today’s rain was something else,” she said.
According to her, the recurring fare hikes have further worsened the financial burden on residents already grappling with the high cost of living.
Mrs Nkiru Ogbonna, who commutes from Costain, said she had to wade through knee-deep floodwaters to reach her office.
“I had to wade through knee-deep water to get to my office this morning,” she said, describing the experience as a recurring ordeal during heavy rainfall.
Mrs Chineme Onuoha, who travelled from the Cele axis, said traffic around Orile turned what should have been a few minutes’ journey into a frustrating commute.
“Something that would normally take three to five minutes to Costain took us about 25 minutes, and I got to work late,” she said.
She attributed the delay to severe traffic congestion caused by the downpour.
Another commuter, Mrs Lilian, said the combination of flooding and gridlock made her journey particularly difficult.
“It took me 45 minutes to get to Costain from Orile. The disruption will affect my productivity at work today,” she said.
She added that in spite of wearing a raincoat, she was soaked by the time she arrived at work, while transport fares had also increased.
Mrs Deborah, who lives in Ayobo near the river bordering Ogun State, said heavy rainfall regularly disrupts movement in her community.
“When it rains, the river rises, but I still have to get to work somehow,” she said.
She appealed for measures to reduce flooding in vulnerable communities during the rainy season.
Also speaking, Mrs Oluchi Uzoma, a resident of Fantasy Island on the outskirts of Sango near Agbado, blamed indiscriminate waste disposal for persistent flooding in her area.
According to her, floodwaters have cut off communities, damaged roads and disrupted businesses.
“The rain has cut us off. We can hardly go anywhere because our roads are no longer motorable,” she said.
She said erosion had created deep, water-filled potholes that posed dangers to motorists and pedestrians.
“If you’re not careful, the next minute you’ll land in a pothole filled with water. It’s better to stay home until the rain subsides,” she said.
Uzoma added that many residents now remain indoors during heavy rainfall, while businesses that depend on customer visits record poor patronage.
She attributed the persistent flooding to blocked drainage channels clogged with refuse and sand.
“People throw waste on the roads and inside gutters. The gutters are now filled with sand and rubbish, so water no longer flows,” she said.
She urged residents to dispose of waste responsibly and maintain clean surroundings to minimise flooding.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) advised residents to remain vigilant, warning that rain and thunderstorms would persist across Lagos and other parts of southern Nigeria.
The agency said strong winds could precede thunderstorms and urged motorists to drive cautiously because roads might become slippery and visibility reduced.
NiMet also advised residents to avoid flooded roads and drainage channels and warned against taking shelter under trees or near power lines during thunderstorms.
Flooding: Ibeju-Lekki LG Chairman tours affected areas, assures intervention
Meanwhile, Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council, Mr Abdullahi Olowa, on Monday toured some areas affected by flooding in the locality and promised swift intervention.
The tour to assess the level of damage was sequel to the devastating flooding in the area due to persistent rainfall that had rendered residents homeless while destroying valuables.
The inspection in the Araromi vicinity in the council area and adjoining places by canoe revealed devastating situations that required urgent attention.
Olowa sympathised with residents affected by the flooding and assured them that the local government council would engaged relevant stakeholders with a view to ensuring prompt and lasting intervention.
The Chairman reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the safety and welfare of residents.
According to him necessary measures will soon be put in place to mitigate the impact of the flooding and provide the much-needed relief.
“It is our responsibility as a council to attend to emergencies such as this but it is also your obligation as residents to conduct social activities in a more environment friendly manner.
”Refrain from blocking water channels with structures and dispose waste properly.”
In a statement also, the Chairman outlined ongoing flood control interventions across affected communities, while assuring the communities of the council’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
The chairman, in the statement, said that the council had deployed swamp buggies, drainage-clearing equipment and pumping machines to tackle flooding in communities including Labora Owode, Bolorunpelu, Bogije, Shapati and Magbon Alade.
He said that work would begin with the drainage channel at Labora Owode which discharged stormwater into the Abijo Canal on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
The chairman said that another swamp buggy had been deployed to Bolorunpelu Community to redirect stormwater from nearby estates into the swamp.
According to him, the council is also monitoring the impact of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project to ensure it does not obstruct the natural flow of water.
The chairman said that a 15-horsepower submersible pumping machine had been procured to evacuate floodwater from Bogije’s clogged drainage system, while a backhoe had been deployed to desilt the drainage channel.
He added that excavation of the drainage channel from Shapati Junction to the Igbijia Shapati Primary Canal had commenced with noticeable improvement in water discharge.
The chairman said that construction of a permanent drainage system in Shapati would begin soon.
Sesan-Olowa said that emergency works were also underway to reclaim the collapsed section of Container Road, through the installation of a box culvert and continued desilting of drainage channels.
He attributed flooding in Magbon Alade to a blocked box culvert linking the community’s drainage system to the Coastal Road.
Sesan-Olowa said that the matter had been escalated through the Federal Ministry of Works to the contractor handling the road project.
According to him, the contractor has assured the council that work to reopen the blocked channel will commence immediately.
He said that the council would also deploy equipment to clear the Eleko Canal through Kaiyetoro to the creek at Iba Oloja.
According to him, technical assessments are ongoing to identify the most effective route for directing excess floodwater into the lagoon.
The chairman said that the deteriorated culvert at Abule Panu required reconstruction and that an inventory of major culverts along the Shapati primary canal would be forwarded to the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources for intervention.
He added that Eluju’s flooding challenge stemmed from the absence of a drainage channel connecting the community to any primary canal, with plans underway to link it to the Lekki-Epe Expressway drainage system.
Sesan-Olowa appealed to residents to adopt environmentally responsible practices and support the council’s efforts by providing local knowledge that could assist ongoing flood mitigation projects.