By Peter Omopo | September 18, 2025
The Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate suspension of all reclamation projects across the state, citing environmental and social concerns.
In a statement on Thursday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said many reclamation activities on wetlands, floodplains, and lagoons were being executed without the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals and drainage clearances.
The ministry identified high-profile areas such as Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne (Ikoyi), Victoria Island Extension, Lekki, Ajah, Oworonshoki, Lagos Mainland, Ikorodu, Ojo, and Badagry as locations where illegal or unregulated reclamation works are ongoing.
Environmental dangers highlighted
Wahab warned that uncontrolled reclamation projects could have far-reaching consequences for Lagos, a coastal megacity already vulnerable to flooding.
“While reclamation may provide space for housing and infrastructure development, it also poses significant environmental and social risks, including increased vulnerability to flooding, coastal erosion, disruption of livelihoods—especially fishing—loss of wetlands and biodiversity, constriction of lagoons, and impairment of water quality,” he said.
He stressed that Lagos’ low-lying topography and fragile ecosystem made it imperative to halt indiscriminate land reclamation before it worsened the state’s exposure to climate-related risks.
Compliance directive issued
The ministry directed that all reclamation projects, whether approved or not, be suspended immediately. It further ordered that projects with prior approval must be resubmitted for proper documentation and monitoring, while all ongoing or planned projects must undergo the EIA process before receiving clearance.
Failure to comply within seven days, the statement warned, would trigger enforcement actions, including:
- Deployment of machinery to decommission reclaimed sites.
- Excavation and removal of filled land.
- Reconnection of blocked water channels.
- Arrest and prosecution of violators.
The directive underscores growing concerns among environmental experts that Lagos’ aggressive land reclamation drive could worsen flooding and threaten the long-term sustainability of Africa’s most populous city.
