Lagos orders immediate suspension of all reclamation projects over environmental concerns

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has issued a strict directive to halt all reclamation activities across Lagos State due to significant environmental risks.

In a statement on Thursday, Wahab expressed “grave concern” over the unchecked reclamation on wetlands, floodplains, and lagoons, especially around areas like Parkview, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, and Badagry.

He warned that these projects are “being executed without requisite Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Approvals and Drainage Clearance,” causing threats such as increased flooding, coastal erosion, loss of biodiversity, and deterioration of water quality. Wahab noted that “with the low-lying topography of the State and its fragile ecosystem, the State Government cannot afford to allow this indiscriminate reclamation to continue unabated.”

The Ministry has directed an immediate suspension of all reclamation projects, whether approved or not.

Wahab stated, “Failure to comply with this directive within the next 7 DAYS… shall leave the Ministry with no other option than to deploy APPROPRIATE machineries to decommission the reclaimed sites” and initiate prosecution against offenders.

He thereby concluded with a firm declaration: “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”