Environmental Risks Behind the Booming Real Estate Development in Lagos, Nigeria

Over the past decade, Lagos has undergone dramatic transformation. Towering high-rises, gated communities, sprawling commercial complexes now dominate the skyline, and private estates stretch across land that used to be swampy marsh. These are the symbols of modern progress and economic ambition. But behind the glass and steel, the city is quietly trading away environmental stability for short-term growth, creating risks that could cost far more to fix than to prevent.

A significant share of this new construction has taken place on wetlands, mangroves, and floodplains, especially around the Lagos Lagoon and Lekki Peninsula. Regional studies suggest that cities in West Africa have lost between 30% and 50% of their wetlands in recent decades; in Lagos, anecdotal surveys from environmental groups put the figure closer to the upper end of that range. These areas aren’t wastelands, they’re natural shields that filter water, slow erosion, and act as flood buffers. Their loss leaves the city exposed.

The risk isn’t theoretical. Flooding is now a predictable event in Lagos, hitting neighbourhoods like Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Lekki, and Victoria Island two or three times a year. In 2023, unusually heavy rains caused floods that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency estimated cost tens of millions of naira in damages. Some economists suggest the true figure when accounting for lost business, property damage, and emergency response runs into tens of millions of dollars annually.

Climate change is making the situation worse. Sea levels along Nigeria’s coastline are rising at roughly 3–4 millimetres a year, while rainfall patterns grow increasingly erratic. When storms come, they overwhelm drainage systems, submerge major roads, and force families out of their homes. Yet many new developments move forward without proper flood defences, retention ponds, or stormwater channels, passing the eventual cost to residents and taxpayers.

On paper, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act is meant to prevent this. It requires developers to assess environmental risks before building. In practice, enforcement is patchy. Some reports are rushed; others avoid assessing flood vulnerability altogether. Approvals can be swayed by politics or connections rather than science. The absence of reliable, publicly available data on wetland loss, drainage capacity, and flood impact makes it even harder for citizens to hold decision-makers to account.

Supporters of rapid development often present the issue as a trade-off: we need housing now, and environmental caution can wait. But other cities have shown that’s a false choice. Sustainable features such as permeable pavements, green roofs, on-site water retention systems, etc. can be integrated into housing projects with minimal cost increases, often just 5–10% of the build budget. That small investment saves far more in avoided flood damage over the life of the building.

For Lagos to grow without undermining itself, this has to change. The city needs tougher EIA enforcement, independent reviews, climate-risk mapping embedded in zoning codes, and open access to environmental data. Developers should treat resilience as a baseline, not a luxury add-on. Communities must be informed, organised, and vocal in demanding accountability.

The real estate boom could leave behind more than just impressive towers, it could leave a city that’s safe, liveable, and built to endure. But without the discipline to match ambition with environmental responsibility, Lagos risks building its future on ground that will not hold.

Omolola E. Badmus
Certified environmental remediation scientist
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