The Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, has blamed the persistent flooding across the state on poor public sanitation habits and unauthorised land reclamation activities.
Speaking during an interview, Bush-Alebiosu said both environmental abuse by residents and illegal commercial land reclamation continue to undermine government efforts to tackle flooding in the coastal state.
According to the commissioner, indiscriminate waste disposal remains a major concern, while illegal land reclamation is often driven by commercial interests.
“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 said.
Bush-Alebiosu also expressed concern over the disposal of human waste into the lagoon, warning of its environmental and public health implications.
“Some people even dump faeces into the lagoon. This is the same lagoon that feeds us. You’re eating fish that are feeding off faeces. All of these things will eventually come back to bite us, and this is just a typical example of what we’re seeing at the moment,” he added.
The commissioner’s remarks come amid weeks of heavy rainfall that have triggered flooding in several parts of Lagos State, leaving residents stranded, disrupting vehicular movement, and damaging property.
Videos and photographs of flooded roads and neighbourhoods have circulated widely on social media, with many residents calling on the state government to implement more effective flood control measures.
Watch Interview Here
https://youtu.be/21zLi-bw2uc?si=YQkYlJfVWO1KUMV5
