Surveyor cautions Lagos govt against sand filling waterfronts

Peter Nwilo, former surveyor-general of Nigeria, has advised the Lagos state government to desist from sand filling lagoons and waterfronts, and building structures on them.

In an interview with NAN in Lagos on Monday, Nwilo accused the government of carrying out sand filling for estate development without considering the after effect.

He said though there are other causes of flooding, the sand filling is blocking the natural canals, causing “the water to stay with us”.

Nwilo was reacting to the flooding in Lekki, Victoria Island, Ajah, Ikoyi and Lagos Island parts of the state.

“I do not think the water level of the Lagoon has risen like this before in the state,” Nwilo said.

“Look around you, Lagos Lagoon and all waterfronts in the state are being sand-filled for the development of estates.

“This is being done without proper environmental impact assessment (EIA) on consequences of such development on the environment.

“The natural canal is being blocked all round the state and when this happens, the water stays with us and that is the flooding we are experiencing.

“We will work on the other causes of the flooding later and that is when we can proffer sustainable solutions to what is happening now.

“But for now, the sand filling of Lagos Lagoon and waterfronts should stop.”

Nwilo was surveryor-general of the federation between 1990 and 2015. He is currently a lecturer at the department of Surveying and Informatics, University of Lagos.