Heavy downpour triggers widespread flooding in Lagos

Several hours of torrential rains Tuesday triggered severe flooding in Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos this week, as the country’s weather agency warned of more rains in the coming days.

Heavy rains sweep Nigeria between May and November, often resulting in dangerous floods where poor infrastructure and inadequate drainage often worsen the impact across Africa’s most populous country.

No casualties have been reported as of Tuesday.

Flooding is common in many parts of the crowded city including in highbrow districts such as Lekki and Victoria Island where AFP reporters saw flooded streets.

Videos on social media on showed inundated homes and businesses as well as submerged major roads and cars.

A viral social media video also showed residents paddling wooden canoes through floodwaters in the upscale Lekki district.

A resident of Okota area of Lagos told AFP that people used canoes to evacuate their flooded homes.

“The rain has taken over my house,” 54-year-old trader Rukayat Saidu in Amukoko, another district of Lagos told AFP. “All my appliances have been destroyed.”

The coastal city of more than 20 million people has long grappled with clogged waterways, fuelled by indiscriminate waste disposal, weak government waste management and urbanisation.

“Annual flooding in Lagos is caused by heavy rainfall, inadequate drainage, clogged gutters laden with debris, and fast urban growth that hinders natural water absorption,” climate change expert Olumide Idowu told AFP.

The city is among those facing the brunt of climate change on the West African coast, where sea levels are rising, rainfall is becoming more erratic and urban populations are booming.

Ghana has reported worsening flooding this week, as it recorded at least 12 deaths after a day of rain.

Nigeria’s meterological agency cautioned on Monday that “continuous rainfall may result in flash flooding in coastal and low-lying communities.”

In a forecast earlier this year, it warned of above normal rainfall, with a delayed end to the rainy season.

State officials did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comments.

In 2022, floods killed at least seven people in Lagos.

tba/sn/cw

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