The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday brought together drainage experts to seek their insights for the creation of a secondary drainage masterplan, focusing on specific local governments.
According to The PUNCH, this initiative is part of the government’s commitment to addressing and mitigating flooding issues in the state.
At the stakeholders’ workshop held at the state secretariat in Alausa, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, emphasized the importance of collective efforts from both the government and residents to manage flood risks in a sustainable, fair, and efficient manner.
The commissioner said, “We will not rest on our oars. We shall continue to engage in all year-round cleaning and infrastructural development to ensure that Lagos is free of flooding.”
Also addressing the participants, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said the ministry had started the journey to finding a lasting solution to the menace of flooding.
“If anyone in your area builds on drainage, right of way or setback, please get a video and send it to the ministry so that the culprit can be prosecuted. I promise that such a person will be compensated, and the culprit sanctioned,” Rotimi-Akodu said.
Providing an overview of the forthcoming secondary drainage masterplan, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services, Olalekan Shodeinde, indicated that the Priority One project will encompass the local government areas of Ikorodu, Kosofe, Eti-Osa, Shomolu, and Ibeju Lekki. These areas are considered to be the most susceptible to flooding.
