The Lagos State Government has blamed the recurring flooding across the State on widespread environmental abuse and illegal land reclamation, saying human activities continue to undermine efforts to tackle the problem.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, said persistent flooding in Lagos is largely driven by illegal reclamation, unlawful dredging and poor environmental practices by residents.
According to him, changing public behaviour remains key to solving the State’s flooding challenge.
“It is important to identify what the problem is in the first place, and the problem is nothing other than bad habits,” the Commissioner said.
Bush-Alebiosu explained that illegal land reclamation and dredging, carried out mainly for commercial gain, have worsened the situation, while indiscriminate waste disposal by residents continues to block waterways and drainage channels.
“I mean, illegal reclamation and illegal dredging affect it on one hand; habits affect it on the other hand,” he said during the breakfast programme.
He noted that while those involved in illegal reclamation are motivated by profit, many residents contribute to flooding through careless environmental practices.
“At the end of the day, those who, out of habit, dump refuse aren’t doing it because they want to make money from it. However, those who are reclaiming illegally are doing it for commercial purposes. So, you have both sides,” he added.
The Commissioner also condemned the dumping of human waste into the lagoon, warning that such actions pose serious environmental and public health risks.
“The first thing is that some people even dump faeces into the lagoon and things like that. This is the same lagoon that feeds us. You know you’re eating fish that’s feeding off faeces,” Bush-Alebiosu said.
“So all of these things eventually will come back to bite us, and this is just a typical example of what we’re seeing at the moment,” he added.
His comments come as heavy rainfall over recent weeks has triggered flooding in several parts of Lagos, leaving many residents stranded, disrupting traffic and damaging property.
Videos and photographs of flooded streets have circulated widely on social media, with many Lagosians urging authorities to implement more effective measures to address the recurring floods.
