Lagos residents lament the constant flooding and ruined roadways

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 For several years, inhabitants of certain areas in Lagos State have endured suffering and apprehension.

This can be attributed to the poor condition of some communities' roads, which has also caused drainage systems to become clogged and resulted in flooding that has left many people homeless.


The Oyadiran Estate in the Sabo axis of Yaba, Lagos, is of particular importance. Once a peaceful neighborhood, it has devolved into a nightmare of damaged roads, clogged drainage systems, and knee-deep flooding during rainy seasons, leaving its people living in perpetual terror and anger.

The once-smooth route across the estate has become a series of craters and gullies. There are large holes filled with dirty water where deep potholes have eaten into the asphalt. Nowadays, cars find it difficult to drive on the crumbling section, and pedestrians must walk carefully on the damaged road's thin borders to prevent slipping into stagnant pools.

The situation deteriorates during wet days. Many of the drainage canals are filled with silt and plastic garbage, which causes them to overflow easily and send tidal waves of water into houses and businesses. Residents describe how their streets became a river within minutes of a heavy downpour, with water rushing through compounds and engulfing apartments on the ground floor.

Every day, drivers complain about how dangerous it is to drive on the terrible road.

Kunle Adebayo characterized the experience as torturous, describing the daily struggles that the people endure. Every day, it is a painful moment to cross the road. This terrible road has caused me to have to repair my car nearly every day.


"No one is prepared to make things better. Numerous promises have been made by the local government, but none of them have come to fruition. We would never see them again once they came, made promises, and left.

Nevertheless, the politicians would arrive with their pledges during the election. In the end, when they take office, they will forget all of the promises they made to heaven and earth, including the promise to build bridges where there are no rivers. They are all broken promises, and we haven't seen anything," he told the Onikewide.

Mike Ojo, a small business owner and another resident, bemoaned the fact that her shop was destroyed by the flood, primarily because of the estate's inadequate drainage system, which was made worse by substandard roads.


Items valued at thousands of Naira are washed away by the rain. The flood is the reason I keep losing stock. Water enters our houses and businesses when the drainage systems are totally clogged.

It is also a nightmare for Ismail Adewale. "We will have trouble on the road every time it rains. Sometimes, in the midst of the flood, Keke Napep will lose it. We occasionally find it difficult to go through the water so that our kids may attend school. No one seems to care that the road has utterly failed. We have a group of insensitive leaders who don't give a damn about the struggles of their people.

Residents claimed that the estate's drainage system has been neglected for years, which has made the awful road worse. Once deep enough to transport storm water, the open gutters are now clogged with detritus. Residents' associations' attempts to get the government to take notice have not been very successful.

Concerns about health are growing in addition to the environmental risk.

Static water pools have turned into mosquito breeding grounds, increasing the risk of malaria outbreaks. After a rainstorm, children are frequently observed wading through muddy water, and some homes have resorted to erecting sand barriers at their entrances.


The failed portions of the road turn into hazardous driving hazards in the evenings. Unaware vehicles frequently plummet into deep ravines or become stranded in wet areas when there are inadequate lamps.

Others pointed out that in addition to causing property damage, the floods put locals' health at danger. Bad odors, water-borne illnesses, and mosquito breeding have become a constant in the neighborhood.

Speaking, Mr. Tayo Ogunyeye, the chairman of the Oyadiran Estate Residents Association, bemoaned the issue's persistence in spite of multiple requests to government organizations.


"This is a public health issue that is about to blow up; it's not just about inconvenience. Although we have contacted the local administration and other relevant parties, we have not heard back.

"Our estate was thoughtfully designed, but with time, inadequate drainage maintenance has made the floods worse.

"This cannot be resolved by us alone. To deal with the situation, the complete drainage system needs to be redesigned and rebuilt. That would imply the demise of a formerly prosperous community," he stated.

"The matter cannot be discussed on phone," stated Mr. Bayo Adefuye, the Chairman of the Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), when called.


In the state's Amuwo Odofin region, especially in the Festac, where practically all of the main roads have fallen and are still impassable, the situation is comparable, if not worse.

A number of inner roadways have fallen, including with First Avenue, Second Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Seventh Avenue, and others.

After leaving Festac and traveling to Amuwo Odofin, the Alakoso Road, which links Ijesha and Apple Junction, has totally collapsed, making it impossible for anything other than articulated vehicles to travel on it.

But inhabitants of Festac Extension Estate in Amuwo Odofin also have to deal with mosquitoes because the estate's open spaces are frequently flooded, which makes them a breeding ground for mosquitoes.


Marcellus Onah, a resident and lawyer, bemoaned the status of the estate's environment and denounced the government's response to the people's suffering.

He pointed out that state and municipal officials have visited the estate on several occasions, especially around elections, to solicit votes and make promises to address the estate's drainage issues, but these promises have remained unfulfilled.

He acknowledged that what appeared to be reconstruction work on the drainages had begun last year, but bemoaned the length of time it had taken.


Static, brackish water is visible in the open areas of this estate that were intended for recreation. Millions of mosquito larvae are breeding there, as you can see.

"You cannot leave the house after 5 p.m. without completely covering yourself to prevent mosquitoes from feeding on you."

"No one leaves the estate when it rains a lot until a day or sometimes two days have passed so that the water can subside and cars can move." It's a horrible situation.


Nevertheless, we witnessed drainage rehabilitation work last year, but it has been dragging ever since.

"This would have been finished when they began it last year, but as of right now, they haven't finished half of the work. I'm not sure if they're postponing it in order to use it for their 2027 campaign.

We simply ask the state and local governments to expedite and complete the drainage projects. Our lives would be greatly improved by it, particularly in relation to mosquito attacks and other environmental problems," he told the Daily Post.


Kolade Ademola, a Festac resident, also spoke and called the state of the local roads pitiful and regrettable.

Some of us who have lived in Festac for more than 15 years are rather dissatisfied with the condition of the roads here, he remarked. I feel horrible when I think about how lovely Festac roads used to be and contrast that with what we have now. It only serves to highlight the quality of our current leadership.

"Leaders who don't give a damn about their followers." Their pockets are their main concern. We currently have a group of avaricious and self-centered leaders whose sole goal is to plunder the public coffers. If not, explain to me how Festac's key roads deteriorated to the point where the majority of them are impassable while successive politicians stood by and did nothing. It's unfortunate.

Apart from the fact that they have embezzled the public cash intended to support Festac, what other justification do they have? Does anyone claim that the local government does not receive a monthly allocation?

"What caused the Festac roads to crumble to this extent? What happens to the local government's revenue that is created internally? To put it briefly, I dislike discussing this since it depresses me.


This is the pinnacle of evil. Residents must experience the harmful effects of the rain, no matter how little, because people are suffering greatly on these roads, especially when it rains. It's very regrettable.

"The only thing I can do is ask the relevant authorities to take action over Festac's road condition. It's encouraging to see that the recently appointed local government chairman has begun some significant renovations in a few locations.

When the dry season arrives, I believe he will do significant repairs. I would like to urge him to avoid following in the footsteps of his forebears. He ought to appease his conscience and provide the populace with sound government.