Residents Along Lagos Coastal Highway May Lose Homes as FG Plans Demolitions Over Flooding (See Details)

• The Federal Government says some structures along the Lagos Coastal Highway corridor may be demolished as part of plans to improve drainage and reduce flooding in affected communities.

The Federal Government has announced that some buildings along the Lagos Coastal Highway corridor may be demolished as part of efforts to construct service lanes and expand drainage infrastructure to address persistent flooding in surrounding communities.

Minister of Works David Umahi made the disclosure after a joint inspection of the coastal highway ordered by President Bola Tinubu in response to growing public concerns over flooding in communities along the corridor.

The inspection was attended by officials from the Federal Ministry of Environment, members of the National Assembly, project consultants, contractors and presidential aides.

Umahi dismissed claims that the Lagos Coastal Highway was responsible for the flooding, insisting that engineering assessments showed the drainage system along the project was functioning as intended.

According to the minister, the flooding is largely caused by blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal reclamation of natural waterways and the construction of buildings in flood-prone areas without proper planning.

“The coastal highway is even helping to convey floodwater from one point to another,” Umahi said.

However, he acknowledged that resolving the flooding problem permanently would require difficult decisions, including the demolition of structures obstructing designated drainage routes.

“Some buildings must have to go to solve this problem,” the minister stated.

He assured affected property owners that compensation would be paid where applicable and in accordance with government procedures.

Umahi also disclosed that the Federal Government would collaborate with the Lagos State Government on a comprehensive flood-control programme along the highway corridor.

The initiative will include the construction of service lanes, additional drainage channels and the restoration of natural waterways that have been blocked over time.

Speaking on Alpha Beach, one of the communities most affected by flooding, the minister said the area had experienced flooding long before construction of the coastal highway began.

He attributed part of the problem to estates built on low-lying land without adequate environmental impact assessments.

Umahi further maintained that the highway’s shoreline protection works are helping to shield nearby communities from Atlantic Ocean surges, rather than contributing to flooding.

Managing Director of Hitech Construction Company, Danny Abboud, pledged to immediately clear blocked culverts and remove refuse obstructing drainage channels along the corridor.

Meanwhile, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Moremi Ojudu, said her office would partner with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and community groups to intensify public awareness campaigns on proper waste disposal and drainage maintenance.

Officials from the Federal Ministry of Environment and members of the National Assembly described flooding in Lagos as a complex challenge driven by climate change, rapid urbanisation, high tidal levels and poor urban planning, while maintaining that the Lagos Coastal Highway project met all statutory Environmental Impact Assessment requirements before construction began.