By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Residents of Ajao Estate have raised concerns over persistent flooding on Fowora Close, blaming it on poor drainage planning and an allegedly abandoned project by contractors engaged by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Chairman of the Ajao Estate East Community Development Association, Olusegun Fowora, said the problem, which dates back to 2007, has worsened as floodwaters from adjoining streets now channel into the area.
He noted that parts of the close, including residential buildings, are frequently submerged during rainfall.
Fowora said residents had made repeated appeals to government agencies before a contractor was eventually deployed in January 2025 to construct drainage channels.
He, however, alleged that the project was poorly executed and later abandoned.
“They excavated the area but constructed a one-sided gutter away from the most affected section. They also damaged our driveways and asked us to fix them ourselves,” he said.
A visit to the area showed a storey building partially submerged, alongside an abandoned carpentry workshop and equipment reportedly left behind by the contractor.
Another resident, Wale Akintola, said damaged access roads had forced residents to park on the streets, exposing vehicles to theft and vandalism.
Residents called on the state government to compel the contractor to return to site and complete the project.
Reacting, the ministry’s spokesperson, Adekunle Adeshina, said he would obtain details from the appropriate department.
He had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.
