The Lagos State has made significant strides in environmental governance but must accelerate reforms, embrace technology and uphold professional standards to secure a sustainable future.
This formed the thrust of a keynote address delivered by the Director, Drainage Construction and Dredging, Office of Drainage Services, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State, Adedapo Ganiu Ajadi, an engineer.
Ajadi spoke at a professional lecture in Lagos, where he examined ‘The Environment Sector in Lagos: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.’ The lecture was part of activities marking the 70th birthday of a veteran engineer, Babatunde Oshodi.
Ajadi described Lagos as Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities, noting that rapid urbanisation, population growth, coastal exposure and climate change have placed enormous pressure on the state’s environment and infrastructure.
According to him, environmental management in Lagos was largely reactive some decades ago.
“Drainage systems were narrow and poorly connected; waste management relied heavily on manual processes; enforcement of environmental regulations was weak and urban development often proceeded without adequate planning. Maintenance culture was limited, technical data was scarce and public awareness of environmental sustainability was low. Although rainfall patterns were less intense at the time, flooding and degradation remained recurring challenges,” he said.
Ajadi noted that those early shortcomings laid the groundwork for reforms that have reshaped the sector. He added that institutional capacity has been strengthened through the establishment and expansion of agencies such as the Lagos Waste Management Authority, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency and the Office of Drainage Services.
He noted that extensive construction and rehabilitation of drainage infrastructure, regular desilting, removal of illegal structures along drainage alignments and flood control programmes have improved system performance across the state.
Environmental planning, he added, is now supported by hydrological studies, GIS mapping and data-driven project prioritisation, alongside improved public enlightenment and stakeholder engagement.
Ajadi warned that despite these gains, Lagos faces emerging and intensifying challenges driven by climate change, increased rainfall intensity, rising sea levels, rapid urban expansion and growing public expectations. He stressed that the future of the environment sector must prioritise climate-resilient and climate-smart infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events.
He called for full integration of environmental systems into urban planning, road construction, housing developments and transportation corridors, while emphasising the need for greater use of technology such as real-time flood monitoring, hydraulic modelling, digital asset management and predictive maintenance tools.
Ajadi also advocated stronger public-private partnerships to address funding gaps and ensure long-term infrastructure sustainability, adding that engineers must remain central to policy advisory roles, ethical practice, safety assurance and the mentorship of young professionals.
General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Tokunbo Ajanaku, an engineer, challenged professionals to confront declining training quality and environmental neglect, warning that failures in the environmental pillar of development continue to undermine social well-being and economic prosperity.
Ajanaku traced Nigeria’s development challenges from the unrealised promise of Vision 2000 to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, noting that weak environmental management, desertification and infrastructure decay threaten food security and quality of life. He called for a return to strong value systems, rigorous training and future-focused engineering practice.
The lecture also served as a tribute to Oshodi, whose seven decades of life were described as a testament to integrity, mentorship and dedication to the engineering profession and national development.
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National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers (NIEE), Sesan Odukoya, lauded the celebrant’s contributions to the profession.
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