Umahi battles flood claims, says coastal highway protecting Lagos

As criticism mounted over flooding in parts of Lagos after recent heavy rains, the Federal Government has defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that the multi-billion-naira project is helping to reduce flooding rather than causing it.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the highway on Monday 6th of july 2026, David Umahi, Minister of Works said engineering assessments showed that recurring floods affecting communities such as Alpha Beach were largely the result of poor urban planning, inadequate drainage infrastructure, indiscriminate refuse dumping and the effects of climate change.

Leading members of the National Assembly, officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment, representatives of the Lagos State Government, community leaders and journalists on an assessment of flood-prone sections of the corridor, Umahi dismissed claims circulating on social media that the coastal highway was responsible for inundating neighbouring communities.

“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is not the cause of flooding. Rather, it is helping to evacuate floodwaters through strategically designed culverts and drainage channels while protecting communities from ocean surge,” he said.

According to the minister, many estates along the corridor were developed on low-lying terrain without adequate consideration for historical flood levels or proper environmental impact assessments.

He explained that the highway incorporates modern drainage infrastructure that allows stormwater to flow naturally between low-lying areas, adding that portions of the project required extensive land reclamation to shield coastal communities from the Atlantic Ocean.

Umahi disclosed that President Bola Tinubu directed the inspection following public concerns over flooding, stressing that the administration was committed to addressing legitimate environmental challenges while ensuring critical infrastructure projects meet global engineering standards.

He called for stronger collaboration with the Lagos State Government to construct internal drainage networks and service lanes linking adjoining estates to the highway’s drainage system.

The minister also blamed indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels for worsening floods, noting that inspection teams found blocked manholes and culverts along parts of the project corridor.

Supporting the minister’s position, Rofika Adebukola, Director of Environmental Services at the  Lagos state Ministry of Environment, described flooding in Lagos as a complex environmental challenge driven by climate change, rising sea levels, rapid urbanisation and inadequate drainage management.

She said the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment conducted for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway complied with regulatory requirements and incorporated extensive stakeholder consultations before approval.

Officials of Hitech Construction Company, the project’s contractor, pledged to immediately clear blocked culverts and drainage channels along the corridor, while lawmakers who joined the inspection urged residents to stop dumping refuse into waterways and support government efforts to tackle flooding across Lagos.