Korede Abdullah 
Minister of Works, David Umahi
LAGOS, Nigeria – Kuramo Lagoon dredging has been ordered by the Federal Government as part of efforts to reduce persistent flooding in parts of Lagos, with officials blaming illegal sand filling rather than the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Minister of Works David Umahi announces the directive on Monday during an inspection of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying investigations show that residents illegally reclaimed sections of the lagoon with sand, blocking a key floodwater collection channel.
According to Umahi, the Kuramo Lagoon is a critical component of Lagos State’s drainage master plan and must be restored to its natural function to ease flooding.
He says the Surveyor-General of the Federation has already erected a warning sign at the affected site while the government has directed the immediate removal of the sand deposits.
“You cannot block the channel and be crying about flooding,” Umahi says, dismissing claims that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway caused flooding in surrounding communities.
He argues that the highway has instead improved drainage in some locations by redirecting floodwater away from vulnerable areas.
Addressing flooding around Alpha Beach, Umahi says the problem predates the coastal highway project and is largely the result of poor urban planning and uncontrolled development.
The minister says long-term flood control measures may include constructing additional drainage channels, building service lanes and demolishing structures obstructing natural waterways.
“Some buildings must have to go,” he says.
Umahi notes that flooding has become a nationwide challenge, citing recent incidents in Adamawa, Bauchi, Niger, Taraba and Delta states.
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