Lagos suspends unauthorised wetland reclamation as Sanwo-Olu warns developers over flooding
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Lagos has suspended reclamation of wetlands, floodplains and lagoon fronts where developers lack environmental and drainage approvals, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu warning that building over wetlands is worsening flooding and coastal erosion.
Lagos State has suspended land reclamation affecting wetlands, floodplains and lagoon fronts where the required Environmental Impact Assessment and drainage approvals have not been obtained, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Saturday, warning residents and developers that building over wetlands and drainage channels is worsening flooding and coastal erosion in the state.
The governor spoke at the 20th Annual Walk for Nature, organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation in collaboration with the Lagos State Government at Makanjuola Hall, Lagos State University, Ojo. He was represented by Dr Omobolaji Gaji, Permanent Secretary of the Office of Environmental Services in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, who said the suspension of reclamation activities on wetlands, floodplains and lagoon fronts took effect in September 2025 where developers had failed to secure the required environmental and drainage approvals.
“Our wetlands, mangroves and lagoons are our first line of defence against floods and coastal erosion. Where they are filled or built over, water has nowhere to go,” Sanwo-Olu said. He said Lagos generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, with plastics accounting for roughly 15 per cent of the volume, and that much of it ends up in drains, canals and the lagoon, raising flood risk in a low-lying, densely populated coastal state.
“Development in Lagos must pass the test of drainage and environmental approval,” he said, adding that the state has banned Styrofoam and other single-use plastics, with enforcement running since 1 July 2025, and is investing in drainage infrastructure, mangrove restoration, tree planting and parks.
NCF National Executive Council Chairman Justice R. Adebiyi said Lagos sits at the forefront of Nigeria’s climate vulnerability, with rising sea levels, flooding, extreme heat and wetland loss threatening communities. “Our wetlands, our forests, our waterways, our green spaces — they are not luxuries; they are infrastructure that we need to keep Lagos liveable,” she said.