Flooding: Lagos residents deserve foresight, not firefighting, SDP tells Sanwo-Olu

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has urged Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to implement urgent and permanent flood mitigation measures to alleviate the suffering of residents across Lagos State.

The Lagos State SDP Chairman and the party’s 2027 governorship candidate, Mr Femi Olaniyi, popularly known as Ferrari, made the call in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.

Olaniyi, a former Lagos State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), spoke against the backdrop of heavy rainfall that submerged homes, disrupted businesses and left many motorists stranded in different parts of the state.

According to him, Sunday’s heavy rainfall and Tuesday’s downpour again exposed residents to avoidable flooding in many communities.

“From Ikorodu, Agege, Surulere, Lekki and Alimosho, our people waded through floodwater, lost property, missed work and had their safety compromised in communities that have endured this cycle for too long.

“As Chairman of the SDP in Lagos State and the party’s governorship candidate, I stand in solidarity with every Lagos resident affected by this avoidable hardship.

“No citizen should lose sleep every time the sky darkens because government has failed to plan for rainfall.

“The government of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu should embark on urgent and permanent flood mitigation plans to end the nightmare residents are currently facing,” he said.

Olaniyi said flooding in Lagos was no longer unexpected and required coordinated efforts to prevent recurring losses.

He noted that meteorological agencies had already predicted more intense rainfall this season.

“Yet, we continue to see blocked drainage channels, abandoned canal dredging projects, indiscriminate construction on flood plains and a waste management system that cannot keep up.

“Lagos residents deserve foresight, not firefighting,” he said.

The SDP chairman urged the state government to declare a flood emergency action plan.

“Let us audit, clear and desilt all primary and secondary drainage channels across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas before the peak of the rainy season.

“Let us enforce the Lagos State Drainage Master Plan. We must stop the culture of approvals on wetlands and drainage setbacks,” he said.

Olaniyi also urged the government to demolish and reclaim structures only where human lives were at risk, while ensuring humane resettlement of affected residents.

He called for greater investment in sustainable flood control infrastructure.

“We must fast-track the construction of retention basins, pump stations and green infrastructure in flood-prone corridors, especially Ikorodu, Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin and the Lekki-Ajah axis,” he said.

He also advocated community-based early warning systems, stricter enforcement of anti-dumping laws and greater accountability in flood-related budgetary allocations.

“Partner with community leaders for weekly drain clearing and strictly enforce anti-dumping laws. A clean drain is the first line of defence.

“The rains ahead will not wait for committees. With climate projections showing increased rainfall intensity in the coming months, a permanent solution is now a matter of survival, not politics,” he said.

Olaniyi commiserated with families who lost homes, businesses and valuables to the flooding.

He said the SDP would mobilise volunteers to support relief efforts in the worst-hit communities, stressing that “relief is not a substitute for reform.”

According to him, Lagos can become a resilient and better-planned city with proactive leadership.

“If elected governor in 2027, an SDP administration will treat flood control as critical infrastructure, just like roads, power and healthcare.

“We will build a Lagos that is resilient, clean and prepared,” he said.