By Suad Ayinla
Bulldozers have not yet arrived, but the warning shots are getting louder. In the name of service lanes and flood control, the Federal Government is drawing new lines along the Lagos coastline, and anything built inside those lines may soon be ordered to go.
“Some buildings must have to go,” Minister of Works David Umahi declared after leading a joint inspection of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, a visit ordered by President Bola Tinubu amid mounting public alarm over recurrent flooding along the corridor. The inspection included officials from the Federal Ministry of Environment, members of the National Assembly, project consultants, contractors, and presidential aides.
Umahi rejected claims that the coastal highway itself causes flooding, saying engineering assessments show that the drainage systems built as part of the project are functioning as designed. He blamed the flooding on blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal reclamation of natural waterways, and developments erected without proper consideration of flood risks.
The minister said the Federal Government will work with Lagos State to implement a comprehensive flood-control programme along the corridor. Measures include the construction of service lanes, additional drainage infrastructure, and the restoration of designated water channels that have been blocked or reclaimed. He warned this could require demolition of structures obstructing drainage alignments and promised that affected property owners would be compensated “where applicable in accordance with government procedures.”
Will Lagos communities accept demolitions as the price of flood relief, or will disputes over property and compensation delay the fixes they urgently need?
