Residents of flood-prone areas in Lagos State are seeking greater transparency over money allocated for ecological intervention and drainage projects as the rainy season intensifies.
Several residents said they expected billions of naira budgeted for flood control to produce visible improvements in communities repeatedly affected by heavy rainfall.
They recounted experiences involving flooded homes, damaged roads, disrupted journeys and difficulty accessing workplaces and other essential destinations.
Sandra, a resident of Ogba, said flooding along Ijaye Road recently delayed her journey to the airport and caused her to miss a scheduled flight.
She explained that her ride-hailing driver initially refused to enter the floodwater because of concerns that the vehicle could be damaged.
Sandra said she arrived at the airport six minutes after boarding had closed and had to wait until the evening for another flight.
Another resident, Godwin, said heavy rainfall left his compound on Airport Road inaccessible.
He said he paid someone to carry him through the floodwater so he could leave the compound and report for work.
Amara Joseph, who lives in Mafoluku, said residents of the area often become worried whenever prolonged or heavy rainfall begins.
She expressed hope that ongoing drainage and flood-control projects would reduce the risk to homes, roads and businesses during the 2026 rainy season.
Records from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation indicate that Lagos State received approximately ₦1.49 billion from the Ecological Fund between January and May 2026.
The monthly allocations included ₦251.46 million in January, ₦230.60 million in February and ₦296.06 million in March.
Lagos also received ₦371.22 million in April and ₦344.09 million in May under the federal ecological intervention arrangement.
The Ecological Fund is intended to support government responses to environmental problems such as flooding, erosion, coastal degradation and other ecological emergencies.
Separately, the Lagos State Government provided about ₦90.78 billion in its 2026 budget for drainage construction, dredging, erosion control and rehabilitation projects.
However, the state’s budget performance report for the first quarter of 2026 showed that some major drainage and flood-control projects had not recorded expenditure during the period under review.
The development has increased calls for clearer public information on when the projects will be implemented and how the available funds are being used.
Environmental advocate Philips Obusesi urged the Lagos State Government and relevant agencies to provide more detailed information about Ecological Fund expenditure.
Obusesi, President of the Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation, said limited access to information made it difficult for residents to assess whether allocations were producing the intended results.
He expressed the view that the available funds might not yet have been used to their full potential.
The environmental advocate encouraged residents to use legal accountability mechanisms, including the Freedom of Information Act, to request details from public institutions.
He also asked government agencies to disclose whether specific interventions, such as drainage desilting and channel clearing, were funded through Ecological Fund allocations.
According to him, clear identification of funding sources would enable citizens to track projects and evaluate their impact.
The Lagos State Government, however, said it had expanded efforts to reduce flooding across the state.
Its interventions include dredging primary drainage channels, continuously clearing secondary drains and enforcing environmental regulations against indiscriminate waste disposal.
The government also said it was carrying out public awareness campaigns to discourage practices that block drains and worsen flooding.
At the federal level, the National Emergency Management Agency said it was using the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction to improve early preparation for possible flooding across Nigeria.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency said seasonal climate information supports disaster planning, water-resource management and climate-resilient development.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has also identified Lagos as one of the states facing a high risk of flooding during the 2026 rainy season.
As rainfall increases, affected residents said the effectiveness of government interventions would be measured by their impact rather than the value of the announced allocations.
They said success would mean fewer flooded communities, safer access roads and greater protection for homes, businesses and livelihoods.
