Dayo Bush-Alebiosu says indiscriminate waste disposal and unauthorised dredging are worsening flooding across the state.
The Lagos State Government has blamed persistent flooding across the state on poor public habits and illegal land reclamation activities.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he said flooding has continued to worsen because of indiscriminate waste disposal and unauthorised dredging.
According to him, illegal land reclamation carried out for commercial purposes, alongside residents dumping refuse into drainage channels and waterways, has made flood control more difficult.
Bush-Alebiosu also decried the practice of disposing of human waste into the lagoon, warning that such actions pose serious environmental and public health risks.
“The problem is nothing other than bad habits. Illegal reclamation and illegal dredging affect it on one hand, while habits affect it on the other,” he said.
The commissioner noted that while illegal reclamation is driven by financial gains, poor waste disposal stems from unhealthy public behaviour, stressing that both contribute significantly to flooding in the coastal city.
His comments come as several parts of Lagos have experienced severe flooding following days of heavy rainfall, leaving roads submerged, disrupting movement and prompting renewed calls for stronger flood control measures.