Many areas of Lagos State were left submerged on Tuesday morning after a heavy downpour that lasted for hours.
The flood, which came only weeks after earlier rainfall destroyed property in parts of the state, disrupted daily activities, leaving residents and motorists stranded.
Communities including Ikorodu, Ago Palace Way in Okota, Akowonjo, and Lekki were badly affected as floodwaters entered homes and shops. Viral videos from Akowonjo showed streets covered in water within a short period of rainfall. In Okota, vehicles moved slowly on both sides of the waterlogged Ago Palace Way, while in Osapa London, Lekki, roads linking estates were almost impassable. Many residents chose to remain indoors as transport services became difficult to access.
Motorists faced long hours of gridlock as several highways turned into flooded routes. Some vehicles broke down in the water, worsening traffic for commuters heading to work. Along the Agege-Ogba-Wempco axis, drivers were forced to stop when flood levels rose too high, leaving only larger vehicles and buses able to continue. At the Mobil filling station T-junction, stagnant water caused delays that left many office workers resuming late.
In Ikorodu, residents also recorded flooded areas, while commercial drivers in Egbeda-Idimu complained about the worsening condition of their routes. They urged the government to provide lasting measures to prevent the recurrent problem.
The state government, through the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, explained earlier in August that Lagos, being a coastal city, faces challenges of tidal lock-up during heavy rainfall, which slows down water discharge into the lagoon. The ministry added that climate change further complicates the problem, noting that flash floods may overwhelm drainage systems in some areas.
As of Tuesday, efforts to get an official response from the ministry’s spokesperson were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him were not answered.