The warning was issued by Engr. Lekan Shodeinde, Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources.

The Lagos State government warning is coming after the release of an updated 2023 Water Releases Forecast for Flood Control by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority effective September and the high rainfall being experienced as predicted.

The affected areas include Alagbole, Meiran, Maidan, Kara, Isheri-Olowora, Agiliti, Owode-Onirin, Owode-Elede, Agboyi I, Agboyi II, Ajegunle, Itowolo, Majidun, Ibeshe, Baiyeku, Maidan and Lekki-Ajah axis.

Shodeinde urged residents and property owners in the listed areas to be ready to move upland when the water level rises.

He explained that comparatively, the total amount of rainfall recorded from January to August 2023 (1,128.6mm) is higher than that of January to August of the year 2021 (713.4mm) & 2022 (848.1mm).

According to him, a total of 968.6mm was recorded as the amount of rainfall for the 12 months of 2021, just as a total of 1,140 mm was the recorded amount of rain during the 12 months of 2022, while in the first eight months of 2023, a quantum of 1,128.6mm has already been recorded which means when the remaining four months in the year is factored in, very high intensity of rainfall would be recorded for the whole year.

Shodeinde reiterated: “When some of the other figures released by the Ogun- Osun River Basin Authority is further scrutinized for volume of water spilled, it shows that for the 12 months of 2021, 1,102mcm was spilled, while for the 12 months of 2022, a total of 1,475.6 mcm was spilled, while in the first eight months of this year, a total of 1,393,1mcm has already been spilled by the River Basin Authority pointing in the direction that more water will be released when factored with the remaining four months in 2023.

Shodeinde reassured the residents on the water released from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroun to the Benue River that only 11 states, excluding Lagos, will be impacted by the releases from Lagdo.