Developer, residents propose industrial pump to tackle Lagos estate flooding

One of the canals. Photo: Dayo Oyewo

A developer and some residents of Osborne Foreshore Phase II Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, have proposed the installation of a high-capacity industrial pump and the construction of a central reservoir to address recurring flooding in the community.

The developer, Ken Ukaoha, told PUNCH Metro on Thursday that the proposed facility would collect excess water from across the estate and discharge it into the lagoon, while a shoreline barrier would prevent lagoon water from flowing back into the community.

He explained that the arrangement would replace the different pumping systems in the estate with one central facility capable of evacuating water after rainfall.

He said, “The idea is to have a reservoir where all the water will be channelled. Instead of having different pumps, they will have one industrial pump that will discharge the water into the lagoon.

“The reservoir will collect all the water in Osborne, and after the rain, the industrial pump will evacuate it into the lagoon. The shoreline will prevent water from the lagoon from flowing back into the estate. That way, only water from Osborne will be discharged into the lagoon,” he said.

Ukaoha attributed the flooding problem to the estate’s low-lying, sand-filled terrain, which he said continued to settle, as well as the increasing number of high-rise buildings in the area.

The developer also disputed the allegation that his company had obstructed a canal, saying two separate waterways — the Dolphin Canal and the Ilubirin Canal — served the area and were not connected.

“The Dolphin Canal goes from Dolphin to Osborne to the lagoon. The Ilubirin Canal comes from Ilubirin to Osborne. They are not linked anywhere. The canal passing through my site serves the Ilubirin axis and is not connected to the Dolphin Canal, which is a major source of flooding concerns in Osborne,” he said.

Ukaoha said the reservoir proposal had previously been put on hold over concerns about the cost of operating the pumping system.

According to him, the new chairman of the estate’s Board of Trustees had agreed to revisit the proposal with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

He added that the new estate management was also considering working with the Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State Government to deepen the canal before the next rainy season.

Ukaoha said the work could be undertaken by another developer, adding that his company might no longer be involved in the project.

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The developer also denied claims that he deliberately locked out the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, during his visit to the disputed construction site on Saturday, October 31.

Hamzat had visited the estate with a delegation of government officials and met with some residents over their complaints.

Ukaoha, however, said he was not in Lagos when the visit took place and had not received official notification that the deputy governor or other government officials would inspect the property.

“Nobody locked the deputy governor out of the site. The site was locked because nobody was there. They gave a circular that we were meeting. So, everybody was away. It is a construction site, and nobody was there,” he said.

On the allegation that his company constructed beneath high-tension electricity lines, Ukaoha said the state’s physical planning authorities required a 25-metre setback, which he claimed his company had observed.

The developer added that Lagos State building approval and environmental officials had visited the site, inspected construction materials and taken samples for laboratory testing.

Also speaking on the flooding, a resident who runs classes in the estate and identified himself simply as Moses said the recurring flooding had affected residents in many ways.

He said, “We have suffered from recurring flooding in this estate for years, and it has affected residents in different ways. Whenever there is heavy rainfall, people worry their homes and properties may flood. We need a permanent solution, and if the proposed reservoir and industrial pump can effectively channel excess water into the lagoon, we will support it.”

Speaking in the same vein, another resident who did not want his name in print, citing privacy, said the current arrangement had not solved the problem.

He said, “An industrial pump is worth considering because the existing drainage arrangement has not completely addressed the flooding problem.

“The estate management, developers, the Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Housing should work together to ensure the project is implemented. We do not want another rainy season to come without a lasting solution.”