The President of the Shoreline Developers Association of Lagos (SDAL), Mr. Lai Omotola, has warned that continued construction on wetlands and unregulated land reclamation are worsening flooding in Lagos, stressing that sustainable shoreline development is the only way to unlock the state’s vast economic potential
Briefing journalists in Lagos following the inauguration of the association, Omotola said developers must move beyond the pursuit of profit and embrace self-regulation to protect the environment and safeguard investments.
According to him, wetlands designated by the Lagos State Government should never be developed, as such areas play critical ecological roles, including water retention and flood control.
“You cannot build on wetlands. It is a no-go area. Once government designates an area as environmentally protected, developers must respect it. If we continue building on wetlands, flooding will only get worse,” he said.
Omotola noted that the association was established to promote responsible shoreline development and engage government agencies and other stakeholders on sustainable practices.
He warned that failure to comply with environmental regulations could lead to devastating financial losses for homeowners and investors.
“It is suicidal to build a house today only to pull it down 10 years later because of flooding. Someone may invest his retirement savings in a property, only to lose everything because proper environmental assessments were ignored,” he stated.
The SDAL president also condemned indiscriminate land reclamation without the mandatory environmental and geotechnical studies, saying natural waterways have their own flow patterns that must not be obstructed.
According to him, altering water channels without proper planning often results in flooding and storm surges.
“There are critical assessments that must be carried out before any reclamation. Some people simply begin filling land without understanding how water moves. When you block natural water channels, nature will respond, and that is what leads to flooding and surges,” he explained.
Omotola argued that protecting Lagos’ shoreline would ultimately generate greater economic returns than indiscriminate development.
