The Lagos State Government has appealed for calm following the flash flooding that hit many parts of the state over the past two weeks, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approving immediate dredging of 28 additional primary channels.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab said the heavy rains were an extreme weather event that dumped an unusually high volume of water in a short time, overwhelming drainage in some areas and causing temporary flooding across Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikeja, Gbagada, Mushin, Mafoluku and other locations.

He said the situation was not unique to Lagos, noting that similar downpours had flooded cities in other African countries and North America on the same day, but that Lagos faced a more complex hydrological system because of its network of lagoons, tidal water bodies, rivers and creeks and higher rainfall intensity.

Wahab explained that the interaction between the Atlantic, the Lagos Lagoon and numerous rivers, especially at high tide, naturally slowed the discharge of stormwater into the sea, leaving low-lying areas temporarily inundated during exceptionally heavy rainfall. He assured residents that the government was on top of the situation through continuous monitoring and emergency response, but stressed that residents also had a role to play in reducing flooding, even as the state continued to invest in drainage, channelisation and desilting