A developer and residents of Osborne Foreshore Phase II Estate in Ikoyi, Lagos State, have proposed installing an industrial pump and building a central reservoir to address the community’s persistent flooding problem.
The proposal involves constructing a reservoir that would collect excess water from different parts of the estate before an industrial pump discharges it into the lagoon. A shoreline barrier would also be installed to prevent lagoon water from flowing back into the community.
The developer, Ken Ukaoha, explained that the arrangement would replace the multiple pumping systems currently used in the estate with a central facility capable of evacuating water after rainfall.
He said the proposed system would provide a more coordinated way of managing floodwater and reducing the risk of flooding in the area.
Ukaoha blamed the recurring problem on the estate’s low-lying sandy terrain, which he said continued to settle, as well as the growing number of high-rise buildings in the community.
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He also denied allegations that his company had blocked a canal, explaining that the Dolphin Canal and Ilubirin Canal were two separate waterways serving different areas.
According to him, the canal passing through his construction site serves the Ilubirin axis and is not connected to the Dolphin Canal, which he described as a major source of flooding concerns in Osborne.
The developer disclosed that the reservoir proposal had earlier been suspended because of concerns about the cost of running the pumping facility.
However, he said the new chairman of the estate’s Board of Trustees had agreed to reconsider the plan in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
He added that the estate’s new management was also considering working with the Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State Government to dredge the canal before the next rainy season.
Ukaoha noted that another developer could handle the proposed work, as his company might no longer participate in the project.
He also denied deliberately locking out Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, during his visit to the disputed construction site on October 31.
The developer explained that he was outside Lagos when the deputy governor visited and had not received any official information about the planned inspection.
He maintained that the construction site was locked because nobody was available there at the time, insisting that there was no deliberate attempt to prevent government officials from entering.
On allegations that his company built beneath high-tension electricity lines, Ukaoha said the state physical planning authorities required a 25-metre setback, which he claimed his company had complied with.
He further disclosed that officials from the Lagos State building approval and environmental agencies had visited the site, inspected construction materials and collected samples for laboratory examination.
A resident identified as Moses also confirmed that flooding had remained a major challenge for people living in the estate, affecting their homes and properties whenever heavy rainfall occurred.
He expressed support for the proposed reservoir and industrial pump, provided the arrangement could effectively channel excess water into the lagoon.
Another resident, who requested anonymity, said the existing drainage system had failed to provide a lasting solution to the problem.
The resident urged the estate management, developers, Lagos State Government and Federal Ministry of Housing to work together to ensure the proposed project was implemented before another rainy season begins.
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