Concerned residents of Ikoyi are appealing to the government to intervene and prevent potential flooding caused by illegal dredging and unregulated sand-filling activities by land speculators. The Coalition of Concerned Citizens of Lekki, Ikoyi, and Victoria Island has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address the issue promptly to avoid exacerbating the existing flooding challenges in the area.
Architect Olusegun Ladega, a representative of the group, revealed that the Lekki drainage regional master plan has been distorted due to indiscriminate sand-filling of natural waterways. This, coupled with dredging activities along the lagoon shoreline, is causing coastal erosion and pushing water back onto the land.
The residents claim that illegal dredging activities, often conducted at night, are encroaching on the waterfronts of Ikoyi, gradually submerging neighborhoods beneath the sea. Realtors and developers are reportedly creating landmasses through unauthorized sand-filling of the Lagos lagoon, selling the land to unsuspecting buyers.
The situation poses a serious threat to the affected residents, and the group is calling for immediate action to halt these illegal activities and protect the community from potential flooding. The issue highlights broader concerns about coastal erosion and its impact on densely populated coastal areas, as projected by the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies.
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