By Our Correspondent
Lagos State Government has issued a grave warning about the rapidly deteriorating state of the Lagos Lagoon, describing the situation as an impending environmental and social catastrophe unless urgent action is taken.
The State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Yacoob Dayo Alebiosu, speaking at a press conference ahead of the Lagos Waterfront Summit, outlined series of escalating threats to the lagoon’s ecosystem, ranging from industrial pollution and illegal fishing to climate change-induced sea level rise and coastal erosion.
The summit, themed “Pressure on the Lagoon: The Lagos Experience”, is scheduled to hold on September 11 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, aimed at highlighting challenges facing Lagos’ waterfronts while charting a path for sustainable development.
“The Lagos Lagoon is under intense pressure from both human-driven and climate-related factors. Without urgent and coordinated intervention, this vital ecosystem and the communities it supports may be lost forever,” Alebiosu warned.
According to the Commissioner, the lagoon has become one of Africa’s most polluted ecosystems, with over 10,000 cubic metres of industrial waste discharged into it daily. These effluents, originating largely from oil, textile, and manufacturing sectors, contain hazardous heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and nickel.
Adding that in addition to industrial waste, domestic sewage and agricultural runoff continue to dump toxic organic compounds into the lagoon, further endangering aquatic life and public health.
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The Merit Newspaper reports that Alebiosu also highlighted the impact of overexploitation of aquatic species, particularly through illegal fishing practices, which have caused a drastic decline in fish populations. This, he noted, threatens the lagoon’s biodiversity and undermines the livelihoods of local fishing communities.
He stated that activities such as sand mining, dredging, and unregulated land reclamation have also significantly altered the lagoon’s natural terrain, leading to large-scale habitat loss.
The Commissioner expressed concern over Lagos’ rapid urban development, which continues to encroach on vital wetland areas natural flood buffers that support both human and ecological resilience.
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“Every wetland lost is a flood risk gained,” Alebiosu stated, warning that construction in sensitive wetland zones is increasing the city’s vulnerability to urban flooding.
He added that drainage systems are now frequently blocked by plastics and non-biodegradable waste, further worsening flood conditions during the rainy season.
