Rain is natural; its disaster is not, but what poor planning makes of it. Blocked drains, vanished wetlands, reckless construction, underinvestment in flood defences and children stranded on rooftops reveal a deepening failure of governance.
This is the truth Nigeria must confront as floodwaters swallow streets, homes and livelihoods in Lagos and across the country’s coastal and riverine communities. The most painful image from the latest deluge is not a stranded car or a flooded mansion. It is the viral footage of a young child being carried through brown floodwater and lifted onto the roof of a makeshift building.
That child is the human face of failure. There was no rescue boat in sight, no organised evacuation team and no emergency shelter. Only frightened residents, desperate neighbours and the thin line between survival and tragedy remained. Children should not be passed from hand to hand above rising water because public systems have collapsed beneath them.
Lagos is particularly exposed. It is a low-lying coastal city hemmed in by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, creeks and wetlands. Heavy rain often coincides with high tide, slowing the discharge of stormwater. Climate change is worsening this. Warmer air holds more moisture, producing more intense downpours, while rising sea levels make it increasingly difficult for water to drain quickly from the city.
Climate change, however, must not become an excuse for decades of poor governance. Global warming may intensify rainfall, and rising seas may slow drainage, but neither causes refuse to be dumped in gutters, buildings to be approved on waterways, nor wetlands to be reclaimed for estates. The real catastrophe begins when undersized drains, weak planning, poor maintenance and civic indiscipline turn heavy rainfall into flooded homes and impassable streets. Too often, seasonal desilting is presented as a solution when Lagos needs permanent, properly enforced floodwater-management systems.
This is the Lagos contradiction: expensive towers above, broken drains below; luxury estates behind high walls, floodwater at the gates; roads commissioned with fanfare yet rendered impassable after a few hours of rain. The city is building faster than it is planning and expanding faster than it can drain.
The latest flooding swept across Lagos. Gbagada, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, Surulere, Agege, Alimosho and Ikorodu were severely inundated, as were Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah, Okota and Amuwo-Odofin. Roads became rivers and homes became holding ponds, proof that a deluge does not respect either postcode or property value.
The problem is not confined to Lagos. Communities in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, Anambra, Kogi and Benue face the same annual anxiety. Along the Niger and Benue river systems, families watch the water rise towards homes, farms and markets. In coastal towns, fishermen lose boats and nets, wells become contaminated, and children miss school. The wealthy may lose cars and furniture; the poor often lose their entire means of livelihood.
Nigeria has turned a predictable hazard into a recurring disaster. Authorities must act before the next major rainfall by identifying vulnerable communities, establishing evacuation centres on higher ground, and pre-positioning rescue boats, mobile pumps, ambulances, and high-clearance vehicles. Warnings must also move beyond vague appeals to “be careful” and provide street-level alerts, evacuation routes, named shelters, emergency telephone numbers, and clear guidance via radio, SMS, WhatsApp, community associations, churches, mosques, and traditional institutions.
Blocked drains and outfalls must be cleared immediately. Buildings obstructing essential waterways should be removed through a transparent, lawful process. Yet enforcement must not become another war on low-income residents. The government cannot demolish informal homes while granting waivers to politically connected developers. Where relocation is unavoidable, compensation and humane resettlement must follow.
Lagos needs a drainage and flood-control system designed for the climate of the future, not the rainfall patterns of the past. This means larger storm drains, retention basins, pumping stations, tidal gates, flood barriers and regular maintenance. It also means protecting wetlands, mangroves and natural flood-storage areas. These are not wastelands awaiting developers; they are part of the city’s defence system.
Planning approvals for wetlands and floodplains should be reviewed, and environmental impact assessments must serve as genuine safeguards rather than mere paperwork. New buildings in vulnerable areas should have raised foundations, permeable surfaces, rainwater storage systems, and flood-resistant electrical installations.
Waste management must also improve. Citizens have no excuse for turning drains into refuse dumps, but the government must provide reliable waste collection, adequate transfer stations, recycling facilities and consistent enforcement. Responsibility must flow both ways.
Nigeria must begin to de-emphasise Lagos as the near-exclusive centre of economic opportunity and address the dangerous overconcentration of people and property. Sea-level rise is now a long-term reality that will persist for generations. Lagos must be defended, while new institutions, industries, technology clusters, and housing are deliberately channelled towards well-planned inland regional cities as part of climate adaptation.
The image of that child lifted above the floodwaters should trouble every official responsible for Lagos. We may praise the neighbour who helped, but ordinary people should not have to become their own emergency services. As Lagos goes under, governance must rise.
•Dr. Onukwuli, a legal scholar and public affairs analyst, writes via patonukwuli2003@yahoo.co.uk
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