Residents of flood-prone communities in Lagos have blamed rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure and poor urban planning for worsening floods across the state.
The residents spoke in separate interviews on Sunday in Lagos.
Meanwhile, an environmental advocate noted that climate change is compounding the risks of flooding across Lagos.
Across communities, including Surulere, Agege, Lekki, and Mafoluku, residents said recurring floods trap people indoors, damage homes and businesses, and disrupt movement whenever heavy rainfall occurs.
Their concerns come as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) listed Lagos among 27 states at risk of flash flooding during the first week of July, following widespread rainfall in June that left soils heavily saturated.
Chigozie, a resident of Surulere, said flooding had become so severe that he could hardly leave home during rainfall without wearing rain boots.
“Once the rain starts, our streets disappear beneath water. If I must leave home, my long rain boots become my only option,” he said.
According to him, floodwater frequently submerges the roads leading to his shop, making it difficult to move and discouraging customers.
“Without the boots, I cannot get to my shop. Many people remain trapped indoors until the water goes down, and businesses suffer because of it,” he said.
In Agege, Amanda Amos said flooding had extended beyond the streets into residential compounds.
“The flood doesn’t stop on the road anymore. It enters our compound and leaves us battling dirty water inside our home,” she said.
She said every heavy rainfall forced residents to move furniture and household items while spending hours clearing floodwater.
“We deserve to feel safe whenever it rains, not anxious that water will submerge our homes again,” she said.
A Lekki resident, who requested anonymity, attributed flooding in parts of the community to inadequate drainage infrastructure and an unfinished canal project.
“The problem is drainage. Heavy rainfall leaves roads submerged, and movement becomes difficult,” he said.
He appealed to the government to complete the canal project, saying it was designed to channel floodwater toward Ogombo Road.
He said commercial motorcyclists often struggled through flooded roads, while areas around a private school, a government office and Mobil Road were regularly affected.
At Iyemoja Street in Mafoluku, Chiazo Williams blamed persistent flooding on a blocked drainage canal.
“Flooding around here has become unbearable. Once the rain falls, the entire area is quickly flooded,” she said.
Ms Williams said the drainage channel no longer discharged stormwater effectively, causing water to overflow into nearby streets and homes.
“The canal should carry the water away, but it barely does. We need it cleared so that every rainfall doesn’t turn our neighbourhood into a river again,” she said.
Commenting on the situation, Friday Oku, an environmental advocate, said Lagos’ flood challenge reflected years of urban growth that had outpaced drainage infrastructure.
Mr Oku, who is also president of the Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos, said climate change was intensifying the city’s existing vulnerabilities.
“Flooding is becoming more severe because urban growth is occurring faster than critical infrastructure can keep pace.
“As more land is covered with concrete and asphalt, rainwater has fewer places to infiltrate the soil, leading to increased surface runoff,” he said.
He warned that continued encroachment on wetlands had weakened the city’s natural flood defences.
“Wetlands are natural flood buffers, not wastelands. Reclaiming them increases flood risks and raises the cost of engineered flood control.
“Lagos must invest in resilient drainage infrastructure, protect wetlands and plan for future climate conditions, not the rainfall patterns of the past,” he added.
Meanwhile, NiMet warned that low-lying, coastal, urban and poorly drained communities remained vulnerable to flash flooding as the peak of the rainy season sets in.
The agency advised residents to clear drainage channels, avoid walking or driving through floodwaters, and monitor weather forecasts and flood advisories.
The Lagos State government has also repeatedly urged residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels, warning that blocked drains significantly impede the free flow of stormwater during heavy rainfall.
For residents, however, the recurring floods are no longer seen as a seasonal inconvenience but as a growing consequence of unchecked urbanisation and inadequate drainage infrastructure.