Planners Urge Lagos State Government to Adopt International Flood-Management Strategies

Town planners have called on the Lagos State Government to adopt proven international flood-management strategies to address the state’s perennial flooding crisis. These planners argue that due to large areas of Lagos lying close to or below sea level, proper planning and engineering interventions are urgently needed. They specifically urged the government to study flood-control systems deployed in the Netherlands and New Orleans. Particular attention must be paid to the Lekki-Epe corridor, where drainage planning should prioritize the Lagos Lagoon as a receiving water body rather than indiscriminately discharging into the Atlantic Ocean.

The recommendations focus on how the state manages its geography and infrastructure in the face of severe environmental challenges. The planners emphasize that the current situation requires a shift toward proactive, engineered solutions to substantially reduce the destructive impact of flooding in the metropolis.

Severe flooding and submergence affect Lagos State, requiring state-level mitigation efforts.