Flooding: Lagos alerts residents of Lekki-Ajah, Ajegunle, Ibeshe, Alagbole, others

*The Lagos State Government urges the residents and property owners in the identified areas and all Lagosians to be ready to move upland as the water level rises, indicating signs of flooding in order to protect lives and property of the people

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

As torrential rains intensify in frequency and volume this month across the country, the Lagos State Government (LASG) has issued a fresh flood alert to some residents of the state in specific locations to prepare for flooding September 2023.

The Lagos State flood alert followed the release of an updated 2023 Water Releases Forecast for Flood Control by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority.

Lekan Shodeinde, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, in a statement issued Sunday, September 3 identified the affected catchment areas, include Alagbole, Meiran, Maidan, Kara, Isheri-Olowora, Agiliti, Owode-Onirin, Owode-Elede, Agboyi I, Agboyi II, Ajegunle, Itowolo, Majidun, Ibeshe, Baiyeku and Lekki-Ajah axis.

Shodeinde said the utmost concern of the state government is safety of lives and property of residents, urging residents and property owners in the listed areas to be ready to move upland when the water level rises showing signs of flooding.

He also noted the flood alert applies to all other residents in the state.

The Permanent Secretary further explained that comparatively, the total amount of rainfall (1,128.6mm) recorded from January to August this year is higher than that of January to August of the year 2021 (713.4mm) & 2022 (848.1mm).

Shodeinde said comparatively, a total of 968.6mm was recorded as amount of rainfall for the 12 months of 2021, just as a total of 1,140 mm was the recorded amount of rainfall during the 12 months of 2022, while in the first 8 months of 2023, a quantum of 1,128.6mm has already been recorded.

By implication, he stated that when the remaining four months in the year are factored in, a very high intensity of rainfall would be recorded for the whole year.

The statement explained: “When some of the other figures released by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority is further scrutinised for volume of water spilled, it shows that for the 12 months of 2021, 1,102mcm was spilled, while for the 12 months of 2022, a total of 1,475.6 mcm was spilled, while in the first eight months of this year, a total of 1,393,1mcm has already been spilled by the River Basin Authority pointing in the direction that more water will be released when factored with the remaining four months in 2023.”

The water levels of all tributaries, including the Oyan Dam are rising and is one of the contributory factors to the possibility of the likely flooding at downstream flow of Ogun River, he stated.

Shodeinde further said the same applied to all the channels and tributaries being discharged into the lagoon, which might experience tidal lock and flow back because of the high-water level that prevent discharges, leading to flash flooding.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the flood alert has become necessary because there is much water to be expected September 2023 besides the downpour that is usually associated with September and December every year along Ogun River Basin and other related predictions and warning from Nigeria Metrological Services (NIMET), Nigeria Hydrological Services (NIHSA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other related regulatory agencies in the country.

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