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Flooding remains one of the most damaging and recurrent
climate-related hazards worldwide, and its frequency is projected
to rise due to climate change, sea-level rise, and rapid
urbanization. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC,
2022) warns that intensified rainfall events and coastal surges
will significantly increase flood risks for low-lying cities,
particularly in developing regions where infrastructure and
governance systems are under strain. Lagos State, Nigeria's
commercial capital and one of Africa's largest megacities,
faces a particularly acute flood challenge. Its unique geography
characterized by a low-lying coastal plain, an extensive lagoon
system, and a high population density of over 20 million, makes it
one of the most flood-vulnerable cities in West Africa (Aniramu et
al., 2025). In the last two weeks of September 2025, Lagos
experienced a severe flood episode that was especially
devastating on the Island and coastal districts, including EtiOsa,
Lagos Island, Lekki, Victoria Island, and Ajah. Major roads were
submerged, residential estates and business districts were
inundated, schools and offices were closed, andthousands of
residents were displaced (Vanguard, 2025; Premium Times, 2025).
Although the most recent floods have disproportionately impacted
the Island corridor, research shows that flood risk is distributed
across the entire state, with mainland LGAs such
as Kosofe, Ikeja, Alimosho, and Mushin frequently experiencing
flash floods from blocked drains and poorly maintained canals, and
peri-urban LGAs like Ikorodu, Epe, and Badagry suffering from
riverine and tidal flooding during peak rainfall seasons (Nwokoro
et al., 2023). This spatial spread of flood impacts demonstrates
that Lagos' vulnerability is systemic and multi-scalar,
cutting across residential, industrial, and peri-urban areas.
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