The Lagos State Government has ordered an immediate halt to all land reclamation and construction activities around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase 2 along Orchid Road, Lekki, in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued the directive during an inspection of ongoing reclamation and drainage enforcement operations across the Lekki corridor — from Oral Estate Extension to the Ikota River and Orchid Road axis.
In a statement posted on X, Wahab said the order followed disturbing reports of individuals reclaiming parts of the Ikota River and erecting illegal structures for sale to unsuspecting buyers.
“We discovered large-scale illegal reclamation and construction directly on the natural path of the Ikota River — an act that not only violates environmental laws but endangers thousands of lives downstream,” he said.
Drainage Systems Blocked by Illegal Developers
Wahab revealed that the illegal reclamation activities had obstructed critical drainage Systems 156 and 157, which channel stormwater from Lekki into the lagoon, worsening flood risks in the area.
He ordered the immediate sealing of all sites involved and the restoration of the river’s natural path.
“Nature already designed how stormwater should discharge from Systems 156 and 157 into the Ikota River and onward to the lagoon. When people distort that balance for profit, the entire city pays the price through flooding and loss of ecosystem services,” Wahab said.
He noted that the Ministry had already begun restoring the Right of Way of the Ikota River in Oral Estate II, where 17 illegal units have been removed after multiple engagements with property owners.
“This is not an act of hostility but of protection. The Ikota River remains the only drainage system supporting the Atlantic in that corridor,” he added.
Lagos Pushes for Resilient Urban Planning
The commissioner also inspected flood control projects at Agodogba Avenue in Parkview Estate, where a new secondary collector drain and pump station are under construction to deflood the area.
Wahab stressed that while flooding cannot be fully eliminated in a coastal city like Lagos, it can be reduced through resilient infrastructure, continuous drainage maintenance, and strict enforcement of environmental laws.
Lagos, with its rapid urban expansion and frequent flooding, faces mounting environmental pressure. Some say uncontrolled reclamation of wetlands could worsen flood risks and erode natural buffers against rising sea levels — a threat that could displace thousands of residents if left unchecked.
Can Lagos strike a balance between urban development and environmental safety, or will profit-driven encroachment continue to outpace planning?
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