Lagos State Government has ordered immediate demolition of illegal structures built on drainage channels and canal rights of way in some parts of the state.
A statement by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, via his X handle on Sunday, said the move is part of efforts to tackle persistent flooding in the affected communities.
After inspecting critical drainage infrastructure and flood mitigation projects in Agungi, Ajiran, and Ikota, Wahab noted that enforcement exercise will involve reopening blocked drainage channels and removing developments found to have encroached on drainage alignments and waterways.
The inspection, which followed repeated reports of flooding in Agungi despite the completion of major drainage infrastructure more than two years ago, uncovered what the government described as a major obstruction at the Ajiran outfall channel.
“The Lagos State Government has declared that it will immediately remove all illegal structures obstructing canals and drainage channels’ right of way along Agungi, Ajiran, and Ikota areas of the State,” the statement read in part.
According to Wahab, a land-owning family had illegally blocked the outlet of a primary drainage channel leading into the Lagos Lagoon, preventing stormwater from flowing freely out of the community.
He explained that the drainage system was designed to discharge floodwater by gravity into the lagoon, adding that blocking the outlet had significantly reduced its effectiveness.
Wahab said the government had directed that the blocked channel be reopened immediately in the overriding public interest.
He stressed that while government respects legitimate land ownership and Certificates of Occupancy, no individual or family has the right to obstruct natural waterways or public drainage infrastructure.
The commissioner added that the flooding experienced in Agungi and Ajiran is linked to a dedicated drainage channel that conveys stormwater through Chevron Drive into the Lagos Lagoon, warning that any obstruction leaves residents vulnerable to severe flooding despite public investment in drainage infrastructure.
Wahab also disclosed that officials inspected Megamond Estate in Ikota, where developers were found to have reclaimed part of the Ikota River and commenced construction without obtaining the required environmental and drainage approvals.
He said enforcement and abatement notices had previously been served on the developers but were ignored, adding that illegal structures erected on reclaimed drainage alignments would be removed.
The commissioner reiterated that developers undertaking projects on wetlands or water-related sites must obtain an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and, where applicable, Wetland Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources before commencing construction.
He warned that the state government would continue removing illegal reclamations and developments that violate environmental laws while urging residents to report blocked drainage channels and other environmental infractions.
