Several parts of Lagos State were submerged on Tuesday morning after hours of heavy rainfall, leaving motorists and residents grappling with severe flooding across major roads and neighbourhoods.
The downpour, which began in the early hours, brought back memories of recent floods that caused extensive damage, particularly in the Ikorodu axis. Tuesday’s incident mirrored the same ordeal, with floodwaters overtaking streets, shops, and residential areas.
From Ago Palace Way in Okota to Ikorodu, Akowonjo, Lekki and other parts of the state, stranded residents shared videos of submerged roads.
In one clip from Alhaji Idowu Street, Akowonjo, floodwater had risen to knee level.
“This is just three hours of rain, and everywhere is flooded. When it is not as if the people living here are not humans. This is just too bad,” one resident lamented.
In Okota, vehicles waded slowly through waterlogged Ago Palace Way, while in Osapa London, Lekki, residents stayed indoors as roads linking estates became impassable.
Mustapha, a resident, said he had to abandon his plans for the day.
“There were some points in the flood where the water would almost flow into your vehicle, and I couldn’t take that risk. Even Uber drivers don’t want to come to this side because of the damage the flood does to their cars,” he said.
The situation caused gridlock across several highways, with vehicles breaking down in floodwater and commuters stranded.
In Agege, Ogba, and along Wempco Road, traffic came to a halt as motorists struggled through submerged junctions.
“The T-junction by the Mobil filling station was heavily flooded, and only SUVs and commercial buses could move. Many of us got to work late,” said Mojisola Ajisafe, a pedestrian caught in the chaos.
Ikorodu residents also described their experience as a “nightmare,” while commercial drivers in Egbeda-Idimu urged the state government to urgently intervene.
“This is not the first time we are complaining about flooding in this area. It is already getting out of hand,” said Saheed, a commercial driver.
Earlier in August, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, acknowledged Lagos’ vulnerability as a coastal city, noting that while the state had drainage systems to manage flash floods, climate change and tidal lock-up often worsened the impact.
Efforts to get further comments from the ministry’s spokesperson, Adekunle Adeshina, on Tuesday were unsuccessful.