The Lagos Lagoon, once a source of life and livelihoods, now edges closer to collapse.
The state government has issued a stark warning: unchecked dredging, pollution, and coastal erosion are pushing the lagoon towards an environmental and social disaster.
Erosion, Dredging, Pollution
As the Lagos State Waterfront Summit approaches on September 11, Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, delivered the warning directly.
He declared: “Human activity and climate change are putting the lagoon under intense pressure.
However, if we fail to act urgently and in unison, we will lose this vital ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.”
Already, erosion has swallowed entire settlements.
For example, Idotun Village in Ibeju-Lekki lost its land to the sea, which forced families to flee and stripped them of their livelihoods.
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Meanwhile, illegal dredgers remove more than 10,000 cubic metres of sand every day, and industries dump toxic effluents that contaminate the lagoon with mercury, cadmium, lead, and nickel.
Moreover, together, these actions have turned it into one of Africa’s most polluted waters.
Call For Action And Opportunity
In response, Bush-Alebiosu outlined the state’s strategy.
He explained that Lagos is collaborating with the Netherlands, a country celebrated for its water management expertise, to design long-term solutions.
Furthermore, he stressed that the lagoon holds immense untapped potential: with proper management, it could power transport, tourism, fisheries, and trade, while generating jobs and lifting livelihoods.
Ultimately, he delivered a clear message. Lagos must act decisively and swiftly, or the lagoon—and with it, the state’s heritage, economy, and future—will vanish.
