The Lagos State Government has issued a cautionary notice on Wednesday to inhabitants living downstream of the Ogun River, alerting them to the elevated risk of flooding in the current month and strongly advising them to contemplate relocating to more secure locations.
The statement, delivered by Kunle Adeshina, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, specifically identifies the areas that are susceptible to this risk, including Alagbole, Meiran, Maidan, Kara, Isheri-Olowora, Agiliti, Owode-Onirin, Owode-Elede, Agboyi I, Agboyi II, Ajegunle, Itowolo, Majidun, Ibeshe, Baiyeku, Maidan, Lekki-Ajah, and the perimeters of the Lagos Lagoon.
According to the statement, this recent advisory is a result of the information shared by the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority in a public announcement made on Monday, which disclosed data regarding monthly rainfall and average water releases spanning 2021, 2022, and up to mid-October 2023. It also sounded the alarm about the current flooding scenario.
Comparing the figures, it was determined that the total rainfall for 2021 amounted to 969mm, for 2022 it was 1,140mm, whereas, for the first ten months of this year, the rainfall accumulated to a notable 1,410.1mm.
The government elucidated that this warning was prompted by the ongoing incidents of flooding in the vicinity of Ajegunle and Kara, along with an additional alert raised by the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority concerning the operational status of Oyan Dam and the potential for flooding during the months of September and October.
Drawing upon statistical data shared by the River Basin Authority, Adeshina indicated that the cumulative rainfall recorded from January to October 2023 (1,410.0mm) denotes that a considerable proportion of the annual rainfall has already been received.
The primary concern of the state government, as emphasized, is the safeguarding of residents’ lives and properties. This underscores the pressing recommendation for individuals residing in the affected regions to consider relocating, with the utmost priority given to the protection of lives and assets.
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