As criticism mounted over flooding in parts of Lagos after recent heavy rains, the Federal Government has defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that the multi-billion-naira project is helping to reduce flooding rather than causing it.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the highway on Monday 6th of july 2026, David Umahi, Minister of Works said engineering assessments showed that recurring floods affecting communities such as Alpha Beach were largely the result of poor urban planning, inadequate drainage infrastructure, indiscriminate refuse dumping and the effects of climate change.
Leading members of the National Assembly, officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment, representatives of the Lagos State Government, community leaders and journalists on an assessment of flood-prone sections of the corridor, Umahi dismissed claims circulating on social media that the coastal highway was responsible for inundating neighbouring communities.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is not the cause of flooding. Rather, it is helping to evacuate floodwaters through strategically designed culverts and drainage channels while protecting communities from ocean surge,” he said.
According to the minister, many estates along the corridor were developed on low-lying terrain without adequate consideration for historical flood levels or proper environmental impact assessments.
