Lagos, World Bank Deepen Partnership on Flood and Disaster Risk Management

The Lagos State Government said it is working with the World Bank to improve emergency preparedness and risk management, as officials warn that flooding pressure in the state will remain high because of geography and rapid urban activity.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab spoke on Wednesday during a strategic business meeting in Alausa with a World Bank team focused on disaster risk management in Nigeria. He said the partnership reflects Lagos State’s decision to strengthen resilience and reduce disaster exposure through infrastructure, planning and enforcement.

Wahab said Lagos is naturally exposed to flood risk because of its coastal position and water network. He said the state is bordered in the south by about 486 kilometres of Atlantic coastline and that roughly 25 per cent of Lagos land area is water.

According to him, this physical setting means the state must treat flood management as a constant policy priority, not a seasonal exercise. He said the government issues early warnings every year and uses those signals to communicate risks, including sea level rise, to communities likely to be affected.

He said the government will again communicate weather and rainfall warnings later this month in line with the NIMET forecast, and that agencies including LASEMA and the State Command and Control Centre are part of the alert and response chain.

Wahab said the ministry has expanded year-round clearing and dredging of primary, secondary and tertiary drainage channels, as well as manholes, to keep stormwater pathways open. He said physical works alone are not enough where human behaviour worsens environmental pressure.

He said some residents build on floodplains or destroy mangroves that protect vulnerable areas. In response, he said the government has increased enforcement to restore order and reduce preventable risk.

Wahab said heavy rainfall can still produce tidal lock, a condition where stormwater cannot discharge freely. He said this can happen even when infrastructure upgrades and warning systems are in place.

He also pointed to Lagos’ decision to ban Styrofoam and single-use plastics as a policy tied to local environmental realities. He said the state moved on plastic restrictions even before some European jurisdictions and is now shifting away from a linear waste model.

“Today, we are thankful for the decision on Styrofoam and the Single Use plastics ban. As a state, we are already transiting from the linear waste system because as a state we know we generate about 13,000 tons of municipal solid waste a day. Some countries in Europe don’t even do that in a week,” Wahab said.

He said the government is treating waste as a potential economic and energy resource while trying to cut environmental damage.

Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget Mosope George said the partnership with the World Bank will connect experts from both sides to identify major risk areas and produce mitigation plans. He said planned activities include stronger early warning systems, emergency response planning and public awareness campaigns on disaster risk reduction.

George urged faster implementation timelines.

“I will like to appeal to the team from World Bank to let us be fast about these projects. I am one of the people that believe that you need to take your own destiny into your own hands,” he said.

World Bank team lead and Senior Disaster Management Specialist Francis Nkonka said the organisation’s engagement covers emergency preparedness and response support. He said the Bank wants to map current gaps in Lagos and align technical and investment support with identified needs.

Nkonka said the team had visited state agencies, including fire and rescue units, where needs around facilities, equipment, personnel systems and data collection were discussed. He added that the Bank aims to support Lagos as a model for disaster management practice across other states in Nigeria.

Senior state officials present at the meeting included permanent secretaries from environment services, drainage services and economic planning, alongside Lagos State’s Chief Resilience Officer and other public service directors.