Lagos orders immediate relocation of residents in flood-prone areas

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The Lagos state government has directed the immediate evacuation of residents living in low-lying and flood-prone communities in the state to prevent loss of lives and damage to property, following flood alert advice by Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA).

The state government stated this while reacting to seven-day flood alert advisory (NFA-2026-2022) issued by NIHSA, Tuesday which affects Lagos and 14 other states.

The   Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources,  Tokunbo Wahab, Wednesday,  listed areas identified as vulnerable to flooding, to include Eti-Osa, Lagos Island local government area, Oke-Ira Nla (Ajah), Kirikiri (Sea Port), Ilaje Waterfront Jetty, and Jetty Terminal B, among others.

The commissioner said the state government is treating the advisory with the utmost seriousness and has intensified monitoring activities across the identified locations, as well as other riverine, low-lying, and flood-prone communities.

Wahab urged residents in vulnerable areas not to disregard the warning or wait until floodwaters rise before taking action, adding that early preparation and temporary relocation to safer areas could prevent avoidable tragedies.

He reiterated that residents of flood-prone communities should move to higher ground and remain there until the peak of the resurgent rainy season has passed.

“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.

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