By UCHECHI AFONNE

Residents of Lagos who have endured repeated flooding say they hope billions of naira allocated for flood control and ecological interventions will finally translate into safer communities as the peak of the rainy season approaches.

Some residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, recounted how recent floods disrupted their daily lives, damaged access roads and left them anxious whenever there was heavy rainfall.

Ms Sandra, a resident of Ogba, said flooding recently disrupted her journey to the airport, causing her to miss a scheduled flight.

According to her, the Uber driver initially refused to drive through floodwaters along Ijaye Road for fear of damaging his vehicle.

“The Uber driver refused to enter the flood along Ijaye Road because he didn’t want to damage his car in spite of my pleas.

“Boarding closed at 10:42 a.m., but I arrived at the airport at 10:48 a.m. I had to wait until 6 p.m. for the next flight,” she told NAN.

Mr Godwin, a resident of Airport Road, said he had to pay someone to carry him out of his flooded compound so he could report for work after heavy rainfall cut off access.

“Before I could get to work, I had to pay somebody to carry me on their back. I kept praying we would not fall into the dirty floodwater,” he said.

Mrs Amara Joseph, a resident of Mafoluku, said many residents become anxious each time heavy rainfall begins.

“Each time it rains heavily, we fear our homes and roads will be flooded. We hope the drainage projects will make a difference this year,” she said.

Official records from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation show that Lagos received about ?1.49 billion in Ecological Fund allocations between January and May 2026.

The allocations comprised ?251.46 million in January, ?230.60 million in February, ?296.06 million in March, ?371.22 million in April and ?344.09 million in May.

The Ecological Fund is designed to finance interventions against environmental challenges such as flooding, erosion, coastal degradation and other ecological disasters.

Also, the Lagos State Government allocated about ?90.78 billion in its 2026 budget for drainage construction, dredging, erosion control and rehabilitation projects.

However, the state’s first-quarter 2026 Budget Performance Report indicates that several major drainage and flood-control projects had yet to record expenditure during the review period.

Speaking with NAN, environmental advocate and President of the Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation, Amb. Philips Obusesi, called for greater transparency in the utilisation of Ecological Fund allocations.

According to him, limited public information makes it difficult for citizens to determine whether the funds are being applied to their intended environmental purposes.

“To the extent that I have seen, I think the fund is not being put to maximum use,” he said.

Obusesi urged citizens to demand greater accountability from public institutions through available legal channels, including the Freedom of Information Act.

He also called on government agencies to indicate whether intervention projects, including drainage desilting, were financed through the Ecological Fund.

“There is no other way for citizens to know whether funds are being used if they are not asking questions,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government says it has intensified flood mitigation through dredging of primary drainage channels, continuous desilting of secondary drains, enforcement against indiscriminate waste disposal and public sensitisation.

The National Emergency Management Agency says it is leveraging the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction to strengthen early flood preparedness nationwide.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency says the prediction supports disaster preparedness, water resources management and climate-resilient planning.

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has also listed Lagos among states at high risk of flooding during the 2026 rainy season.

As the rains intensify, many residents say they will judge the success of government interventions not by the size of budget allocations, but by whether their homes, roads and livelihoods are better protected from flooding. (NAN)