OVER 44,000 RESIDENTS, 6,000 BUILDINGS AT FLOOD RISK IN AJEGUNLE – UNILAG DON
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Professor Peter Elias, Co-Director of the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development (CHSD) at the University of Lagos, has revealed that more than 44,000 residents and over 6,000 buildings in Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Lagos State, are vulnerable to flooding.
Elias disclosed this during a stakeholders’ consultation forum on climate resilience held at the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area. The event was organised under the Action Research for Climate Resilience (AR4CR) project, a collaboration between CHSD and the University of Manchester through the African Cities Research Consortium.
According to Elias, drainage systems originally designed to manage five-to-ten-year storm events are no longer adequate due to changing rainfall patterns intensified by climate change. He noted that rapid urbanisation has increased impervious surfaces in Ajegunle by over 500 per cent in less than three decades, significantly reducing natural flood storage and worsening runoff.
“The findings were sobering: more than 44,000 residents and over 6,000 buildings in Ajegunle, Ikorodu, are exposed to flooding risks,” Elias said.
The research recommended practical interventions, including upgrading drainage systems and canals, elevating roads, schools, and markets above flood levels, improving waste management, ensuring reliable water supply, and strengthening collaboration between government and communities.
In his remarks, CHSD founding director Timothy Nubi observed that although Lagos State has climate adaptation policies, vulnerable communities are often excluded from implementation.
The Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Adetola Abubakar, pledged to work with the findings and consider escalating key recommendations to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu if necessary. She assured residents that the council would review proposals such as canal expansion, drainage upgrades, infrastructure elevation, and waste management reforms.
Also speaking, Temilade Sesan, City Manager at AR4CR, stressed that research must translate into actionable government policy rather than “gather dust on shelves.”
Community stakeholders echoed concerns about worsening health impacts, including waterborne diseases and mosquito infestations, and called for the upgrading of the primary health centre to operate 24 hours daily, especially during peak flood periods.
The Community Action Plan developed through participatory engagement prioritises road and drainage improvements, infrastructure elevation, market restructuring, and closer collaboration between residents and authorities.
The AR4CR initiative aims to produce a community-level climate hazard and vulnerability assessment to strengthen resilience in Ajegunle, Ikorodu, as climate change continues to heighten flood risks across Lagos.
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