Lagos govt issues stop-work order on land reclamation along Orchid Road

The Lagos State Government has ordered stoppage of all reclamation activities around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase 2, along Orchid Road, Lekki in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab gave the order over the weekend during an inspection of ongoing reclamation and drainage enforcement activities across the Lekki corridor, from Oral Estate Extension to the Ikota River and Orchid Road axis.

In a statement shared on X on Tuesday, Wahab said the action followed reports of individuals reclaiming parts of the river and erecting illegal structures for sale to unsuspecting buyers.

He disclosed that the illegal reclamation blocked critical drainage systems, including Systems 156 and 157, which channel stormwater into the lagoon.

Wahab said, “Over the weekend, I led an inspection of ongoing reclamation and drainage enforcement activities across the Lekki corridor, from Oral Estate Extension to the Ikota River and Orchid Road axis.

“We discovered large-scale illegal reclamation and construction directly on the natural path of the Ikota River, an act that not only violates environmental laws but endangers thousands of lives downstream.

“I have therefore directed the immediate seal and stop-work order on all reclamation activities along Orchid Road, particularly around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase 2.

“Nature already designed how stormwater should discharge from Systems 156 and 157 into the Ikota River and onward to the Lagoon. When people distort that balance for profit, the entire city pays the price through flooding and loss of ecosystem services.

“We are restoring the Right of Way of the Ikota River in Oral Estate II, where 17 contravening units have already been removed after multiple engagements with property owners.

“This is not an act of hostility but of protection, the Ikota River remains the only drainage system supporting the Atlantic in that corridor.

“Our visit also covered Agodogba Avenue in Parkview, where a secondary collector drain and pump station are under construction to deflood the area.

“Flooding cannot be eliminated in a coastal city like Lagos, but it can be mitigated through resilient infrastructure, continuous drainage maintenance by our EFAG teams, and strict enforcement against environmental infractions.”