Lagos faces more flooding after downpour sparked coastal highway questions

Barely two days after torrential rain submerged roads and homes across Lagos, including neighbourhoods residents say have rarely flooded before, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned of fresh flash flooding as another round of heavy rainfall bears down on Nigeria’s coast.

The warning comes as Sunday’s flooding has renewed questions about whether the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, is altering natural drainage patterns in parts of the city. While there is no evidence yet linking the flooding to the project, its construction began before an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was completed, drawing criticism from environmental groups and prompting legal challenges over compliance with Nigeria’s environmental laws.

On social media, some residents blamed construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, arguing that reclamation works and earth-moving activities may have disrupted natural water flows.

Those claims remain unverified. Videos shared by residents showed vehicles stranded in floodwaters, refuse blocking drainage channels and families attempting to remove water from flooded homes.

In its weather outlook for Tuesday, NiMet warned that sustained rainfall could trigger flash flooding in Lagos and other low-lying coastal states, including Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

Morning thunderstorms are expected to give way to more widespread rainfall later in the day, with the agency urging residents to avoid floodwaters, motorists to exercise caution because of poor visibility, and emergency agencies to remain on alert.

The alert follows Sunday’s downpour, which flooded roads across Mushin, Gbagada, Surulere, Ijesha, Ilupeju, Shomolu, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Oshodi, Victoria Island, Lekki and other parts of the metropolis. Videos shared by residents showed vehicles stranded in rising water, homes inundated and drainage channels choked with debris.

A city under pressure

Lagos has experienced severe flooding for decades, driven by rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage, blocked waterways and its low-lying coastal geography. But Sunday’s flooding stood out because several areas that residents say had escaped major flooding in previous years were inundated.

Much of the city sits only a few metres above sea level, making it particularly vulnerable when heavy rainfall coincides with high tides that slow the discharge of stormwater into the Atlantic Ocean.

During a recent reporting visit, Pluboard visited and witnessed several coastal communities badly impacted by ocean surge. Climate scientists have warned that warming temperatures are increasing the intensity of extreme rainfall events across West Africa, even where annual rainfall totals remain relatively stable.

NiMet had earlier projected above-normal rainfall for much of 2026, identifying Lagos as one of the states likely to experience heightened flood risks because of its coastal geography.

Responding to the latest flooding, Lagos Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the state had deployed emergency teams to clear blocked drainage channels.

He attributed the flooding to prolonged and intense rainfall, noting that NiMet had earlier forecast above-normal rainfall for 2026 and warned that Lagos, because of its coastal location and low elevation, would be among the states most at risk.

The commissioner said the government had intensified drainage clearance and enforcement against developments obstructing waterways, while urging residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels.

NiMet warned that the risk of flooding remains elevated as rainfall continues across southern Nigeria, underscoring the growing challenge facing Lagos as climate change intensifies extreme weather while rapid urban development reshapes one of Africa’s largest coastal cities.