The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has predicted that Lagos State and its surrounding areas will experience 275 days of rain in 2013.
Based on this prediction, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, has warned Lagosians living on wetlands along the floodplains and along the lagoon, to relocate to safer areas.
According to Bello, the seasonal rainfall would commence between the first and second week of March and would not end until about the 17th of December.
He added that the government would place measures in place to check the incidence of flooding, such as the cleaning and expansion of drainage channels.
He said the state was also collaborating with Ogun and Oyo States in order to mitigate flooding.
He said: “Very little can be achieved without the collaborative efforts of Lagosians. I have said repeatedly that global occurrences around the world now point out to one single fact, which is that no nation can promise a ‘flood-free’ environment any longer. Even the most industrialised countries in the world can no longer promise a flood-free society. However, what we can promise is reduction of floods to the barest minimum in the state. We in the Ministry of the Environment are ready to increase the capacity of our drains and canals to allow free and discharge of storm water.”
The commissioner warned Lagosians to desist from dumping of sewages on drainage paths, constructing illegal structures on drainage alignments, road setbacks.