Wahab Slams Rhodes-Vivour Over Flood Remarks, Explains Lagos’ Mitigation Efforts

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has criticized Labour Party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, over his recent comments on flash floods in the state, describing them as politically driven and “simplistic.”

In a statement on Thursday, Wahab said Rhodes-Vivour’s suggestions were aimed more at gaining attention than offering real solutions.

“While we were busy working on immediate, short, medium, and long-term solutions to the recent flash flooding in some parts of Lagos, my attention was drawn to a simplistic suggestion by Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour—an idea driven more by political correctness and cheap attention-seeking than genuine problem-solving,” Wahab said.

He explained that Lagos, like Venice, Amsterdam, Bangkok, and Jakarta, is an aquatic city naturally prone to flooding due to its coastal terrain and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. According to him, the flooding in Lekki was caused by a “compound event” of heavy rainfall coinciding with high tides, a situation known as tide-locking.

“When the sea level is high, water cannot leave our drains quickly, and streets hold water for a few hours before it recedes. Outfalls that connect drains to the lagoon cannot empty fast, so water backs up. This is the reality of coastal cities worldwide,” he noted.

Wahab outlined the state’s strategy in three phases—temporary detention of stormwater, movement of water through wider and clearer channels, and prevention of backflow with one-way valves and pumps.

He detailed ongoing efforts including:

• Maintenance of 579 km of secondary collectors and 309 km of primary channels.
• Clearing of 444 km of drains by rapid-response teams.
• Restoration of 40.3 km of encroached waterways.
• Construction of 218 new drainage channels, expected to deliver an additional 1,500 km of capacity.

He added that pumps are being installed in high-risk areas, with the first undergoing testing at Ilubirin on Lagos Island. Near-term measures also include intensified clearance of silt, installation of debris screens, and development of estate lakes for stormwater detention.

For the medium and long term, Wahab said the government is working on a Lekki Blue-Green Network, flap gates at tide-sensitive outfalls, wetland restoration, and new building codes requiring stormwater retention on-site.

The commissioner also linked proper waste management to flood control, noting the state’s ban on Styrofoam, restrictions on single-use plastics, waste-to-energy initiatives, and deployment of 15,000 street sweepers.

“Floods are driven by physics, not politics,” Wahab stressed. “Our plan is to store, move, and control water—supported by maintenance, enforcement, early warning, and clear public metrics—so that heavier-than-usual rainfall plus high tide no longer means disruption for Lagosians.”

He referenced recent global flooding in Japan, Florida, and Western Europe, stressing that climate change, not politics, is the real driver of extreme weather.

Taking a swipe at Rhodes-Vivour, Wahab added: “Obviously, attending an Ivy League school is not a conferer of intelligence.”

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