Residents of several Lagos communities on Tuesday recounted losses caused by flooding after persistent rainfall submerged homes and roads, displaced families and disrupted businesses and schools.
The affected areas include Ago Palace Way, Okota Road, Amuwo Odofin and Ilaje in Ajah, where floodwaters left many residents stranded and made movement difficult.
Some residents who spoke with NAN described the situation as a recurring nightmare and urged the government to implement lasting flood-control measures.
Mrs Stella, a resident of Ago Palace Way, said Greenfield Estate remained one of the worst-hit communities whenever heavy rainfall occurred.
“Greenfield Estate is prone to flooding. In spite of being an expensive estate, it is always badly affected whenever heavy rain falls,” she said.
She said Community Road, Supersaver, Kilimanjaro and the Ago Bridge-Apple Junction corridor were also severely flooded.
According to her, many motorists now avoid the route because of rising floodwaters.
“The water was so high that buses struggled to pass. You could feel the waves pushing the buses,” she said.
Stella added that many homes had been inundated, forcing some residents to pump water from their houses while others elevated their belongings to prevent damage.
She said some families had already been displaced and warned that continued rainfall could worsen the situation.
In Amuwo Odofin, Miss Sarah Onyeachonam, a resident, said flooding had kept many residents indoors and prevented them from going to work.
“I’ve not been able to go to work since Monday. Everybody’s just indoors. Everywhere is flooded,” she said.
She said several roads had become impassable, while many homes, particularly those located behind the estate, were flooded.
According to her, the flooding had become a yearly occurrence during the rainy season.
“We are tired of watching our homes flood every year. This is no longer a seasonal challenge; it needs to be addressed,” she said.
Another resident, Chiazo, said she almost fell from a commercial motorcycle while taking her children to school because floodwaters concealed potholes along Community Road.
“We can’t even tell where the potholes are because the whole place is flooded. Community Road is like a pond,” she said.
She blamed blocked drainage channels and poor road conditions for the persistent flooding.
In Ilaje, Ajah, another resident, Blessing, said the heavy rainfall had submerged roads across the community.
“Everywhere is flooded because of the rain. The streets are under water,” she said.
She, however, noted that residents had become accustomed to flooding during the rainy season.
Meanwhile, a private school in Ajah suspended academic activities on Tuesday over safety concerns.
In a notice sighted by NAN, the school said flooded roads and drainage systems had made access unsafe for pupils and staff.
It said the temporary closure was necessary to protect the lives of pupils and employees.
The residents appealed to relevant authorities to clear blocked drainage channels, rehabilitate damaged roads and implement sustainable flood-control measures in vulnerable communities.
Ejigbo residents seek urgent action on recurring flooding
In a related development, residents of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State have appealed to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the council chairman, Mr Taoheed Taiwo, to urgently address recurring flooding disrupting daily activities.
The residents made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos amid ongoing heavy rainfall and recurrent flooding across the area.
A resident of Ejigbo, Mrs Kehinde Ayodele, told NAN that several houses and shops were flooded, forcing many families and business owners to suspend their activities.
Ayodele said floodwater entered homes in the early hours after a downpour, destroying household items, while many shop owners could not open for business because their premises were flooded.
She described the situation as no longer a seasonal inconvenience but a serious threat to residents’ safety, health and livelihoods, calling for urgent government intervention.
Another resident, Mr Wasiu Babatunde, said major roads and streets, including NNPC, Ademola, Kalejaye and Ejigbo roads, had become impassable due to blocked drainage channels.
Babatunde said most drainage channels were filled with refuse and silt, preventing the free flow of water and worsening flooding across affected communities.
He urged the council to intensify drainage clearing and improve waste management, noting that motorists, pedestrians and businesses were increasingly affected by the situation.
Also speaking, Mr Abdulfatai Aderibigbe said many people had been unable to leave their homes because roads leading to bus stops and adjoining communities remained submerged.
Aderibigbe said many workers reported late for duty while others stayed away completely because roads became flooded, making movement difficult and unsafe.
He added that many children found it difficult to get to school safely, warning that the situation could worsen if further rainfall occurred.
Another resident, Mrs Funmi Ademago, said many commuters were stranded for prolonged periods because commercial vehicles avoided flooded routes.
Ademago said business owners, civil servants and traders waited for hours at bus stops because vehicles could not access the flooded roads.
She said the situation was affecting income and productivity, urging government authorities to take decisive action before lives were lost to flooding.
A commercial driver, Mr Seyi Ogunleye, said recurring flooding had damaged vehicles and increased transport costs for operators and commuters in the area.
Ogunleye said several vehicles developed faults after passing through flooded roads, while some drivers avoided Ejigbo entirely because of the situation.
He said transport fares had increased from N500 to N1,000 for a one-bus-stop trip, creating additional hardship for residents and commuters.
Heavy rainfall and attendant flooding since Sunday have caused hardship in affected parts of the state, affecting residents, businesses and motorists alike.
Flooding : SDP advises Sanwo-Olu on mitigation plan
Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday urged Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu embark on urgent and permanent flood mitigation plan in Lagos to alleviate suffering of residents.
The State SDP Chairman and 2027 Governorship Candidate, Mr Femi Olaniyi, popularly known Ferrari, made the call in an interview with NAN on Tuesday in Lagos.
Olaniyi, a former State Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC),spoke against the backdrop of the increasing heavy rainfall and attendant floods in several communities in the state.
“Sunday’s April 28 heavy rainfall and the rainfall today(Tuesday) once again exposed Lagos residents to preventable flooding across several parts of the state.
“The government of Gov. Babajide Sanwoolu must embark on urgent and permanent flood mitigation plan to end nightmares residents are currently facing,” Olaniyi said.
According to him, flooding in Lagos is no longer unexpected, hence there should be concerted efforts to address it and prevent unfortunate loses.
He said that the meteorological agencies had predicted more intense rains this season.
“Yet, we continue to see blocked drainage channels, abandoned canal dredging projects, indiscriminate building on flood plains, and a waste management system that cannot keep up.
“Lagos residents deserve foresight, not firefighting,” he said.
Advising the governor, Olaniyi who noted that the government must declare a flood emergency action plan, said, ‘”Let us audit, clear, and desilt all primary and secondary drainage channels across the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs before the peak of the rainy season.
“Let us enforce the Lagos State Drainage Masterplan. We must stop the culture of approvals on wetlands and drainage setbacks.”
He urged the government to demolish and reclaim “only where human lives are at risk, but with humane resettlement”.
Calling for investment in sustainable infrastructure, the chairman urged Sanwo-Olu to, “fast-track the construction of retention basins, pump stations, and green infrastructure in flood-prone corridors, especially Ikorodu, Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, and Lekki-Ajah axis.”
He called for a community-based early warning and waste enforcement as well as accountability and transparency in flood related budgetary allocation.
Olaniyi added: “Partner with community leaders for weekly drain clearing, and strictly enforce anti-dumping laws. A clean drain is the first line of defense. .
“The rains ahead will not wait for committees. With climate projections showing increased rainfall intensity in the coming months, a permanent solution is now a matter of survival, not politics.”
The chairman commiserated with families who lost homes, businesses, and valuables to the incessant rainfall and flooding.
According to him, the SDP will mobilise volunteers to support relief efforts in the worst-hit communities.
He said that Lagos of every resident’s dream could work with a government that plans ahead of the rain.
The candidate said the SDP would treat flood control as critical infrastructure — like roads, power, and health,if given the opportunity to govern the state.
“We will build a Lagos that is resilient, clean, and prepared” he said.