New Flood Warning Issued by Lagos State Government Due to Revised Water Release Forecast for 2023
Due to the heavy rainfall that has been observed since the beginning of September, as well as the updated 2023 Water Releases Forecast for Flood Control released by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority, the Lagos State Government issued a flood warning on Sunday, primarily targeting areas located downstream of the Ogun River.
According to the statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Engineer Lekan Shodeinde, the affected areas include Alagbole, Meiran, Maidan, Kara, Isheri-Olowora, Agiliti, Owode-Onirin, Owode-Elede, Agboyi I, Agboyi II, Ajegunle, Itowolo, Majidun, Ibeshe, Baiyeku, Maidan and Lekki-Ajah axis.
According to him, the state government’s top priority is protecting the lives and property of its citizens, so he advised everyone in the state, including those living in the areas on the list, to be prepared to evacuate to higher ground if and when the water level begins to rise and flood warnings are issued.
Shodeinde, citing the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority’s Managing Director Otunba Olufemi Odumosu’s updated 2023 Water Releases Forecast, stated that the total amount of rainfall recorded from January to August 2023 (1,128.6mm) was greater than that of January to August 2021 (713.4mm) and 2022 (848.1mm).
According to the Permanent Secretary, the amount of rainfall recorded for the entire year in 2021 was 968.6 mm, while the amount recorded for the entire year in 2022 was 1,140 mm, and the amount recorded for the first eight months of 2023 was 1,128.6 mm, meaning that when the remaining four months of the year are factored in, a very high intensity of rainfall would be recorded.
He speculated that the rising water levels of all tributaries, including the Oyan Dam, were a factor in the potential flooding of the downstream flow of the Ogun River, and he emphasized that the same was true for all the channels and tributaries that discharge into the lagoon and could experience tidal lock and flow back because of the high water level that prevents discharges, leading to flash flooding.
Shodeinde applauded the Ogun Oshun Basin Development Authority (OSRBDA) for their efforts to restrict water releases while preserving the Oyan Dam’s structural integrity and in accordance with all of the agencies’ seasonal rainfall patterns.
In addition to the heavy downpours that occur in September and October every year along Ogun River Basin, the Permanent Secretary explained that the alert has become necessary due to the large amount of water that is expected to arrive in September 2023. This is in addition to the predictions and warnings issued by the Nigeria Metrological Services (NIMET), the Nigeria Hydrological Services (NIHSA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other related Agencies.
In addition, Engr. Shodeinde reassured residents of the state that only 11 states, including Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Cross River, would be affected by the releases from Lagdo, and that there was no connection between the Lagdo dam releases and the operations of Oyan Dam and the water releases forecast for Flood Control in Lagos and Ogun State.
The Permanent Secretary has urged all residents to be prepared for the possibility of flash floods in Lagos, a coastal city, and to work with the state government to implement measures, such as the early warning alert, to reduce the damage caused by such flooding.
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