For years, residents of several communities in Lagos State have endured daily torment caused by collapsed roads, clogged drainages, and persistent flooding.
Bellnews reports that once-thriving neighbourhoods such as Oyadiran Estate in Yaba and Festac in Amuwo Odofin now grapple with devastation that has left homes submerged, businesses crippled, and lives at risk.
Oyadiran Estate, located in the Sabo axis of Yaba, was once known for its serenity. Today, it is a picture of decay and despair.
What used to be smooth roads have turned into stretches of gullies and deep potholes, filled with muddy water after every rainfall. Motorists struggle to manoeuvre, while pedestrians cling to the narrow edges of broken asphalt to avoid plunging into stagnant pools.
When it rains, the situation quickly escalates. Drainage channels, long clogged with plastic waste and debris, overflow within minutes of a downpour, sending torrents of water into homes and shops.
Residents recount how ground-floor apartments and businesses are often submerged, with properties destroyed in minutes.
“It is a moment of agony passing through the road every day,” said Kunle Adebayo, a resident who spoke to Daily Post.
“I have been repairing my car almost daily because of this bad road. The local government has made countless promises, but none has produced results. Politicians only come during elections, promising heaven and earth — even to build bridges where there are no rivers. But once they win, they vanish.”
For Mike Ojo, a small business owner, the problem is beyond inconvenience; it is economic devastation.
“The rain sweeps away goods worth thousands of naira. I keep losing stock because of the flood. The drainages are completely blocked, and when water cannot flow, it comes into our shops and homes,” she lamented.
Another resident, Ismail Adewale, described the situation as a nightmare. Adewale said: “Each time it rains, we struggle with the road. There are times Keke Napep breaks down in the middle of the flood. Sometimes we wade through the water just to get our children to school. The road has completely failed, and nobody cares. We have insensitive leaders who don’t care what their people are suffering.”
Beyond the immediate damage to cars, shops, and homes, health risks are mounting. Pools of stagnant water have turned the estate into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, raising fears of malaria outbreaks.
Children are often seen wading through filthy water after rainfall.
Some households have resorted to raising sandbags at their entrances to keep out floodwater. Without streetlights, the failed portions of the road become dangerous traps at night, with unsuspecting motorists plunging into gullies or getting stuck in waterlogged sections.
“This is not just about inconvenience; it is a public health emergency waiting to explode,” warned the Chairman of the Oyadiran Estate Residents Association, Tayo Ogunyeye.
“Our estate was well-planned, but over the years, poor maintenance of drainages has worsened flooding. We cannot solve this alone. The entire drainage needs redesigning and reconstruction.”
When contacted, the Chairman of Yaba LCDA, Bayo Adefuye, refused to comment, saying to the media that, “The matter cannot be discussed on phone.”
Festac and Amuwo Odofin: Roads in Total Collapse
Bellnews understands that the situation is no better, and in some cases worse, in Festac and Amuwo Odofin, where almost all major roads have collapsed.
From First Avenue to Seventh Avenue, residents complain of impassable roads riddled with potholes and erosion. The Alakoso Road, connecting Apple Junction with Ijesha, has failed so completely that only articulated trucks dare to use it.
In Festac Extension Estate, constant flooding has turned open recreational spaces into mosquito-infested swamps.
A resident, lawyer Marcellus Onah, condemned the government’s neglect of the area. He said: “In this estate, you see stagnant, brackish water everywhere. Millions of mosquito larvae breed in those pools. Once it is 5pm, you cannot step out without covering yourself head-to-toe, otherwise mosquitoes will feast on you.
“When it rains heavily, nobody drives out until after a day or two, when the water recedes. Last year, work began on the drainages, but it has dragged on endlessly. I fear they are deliberately delaying it to use it for 2027 campaigns.”
For Kolade Ademola, a long-time Festac resident, the situation is a source of heartbreak.
The resident lamented, saying: “Some of us who have lived here for over 15 years are disappointed. Festac used to be beautiful. Today, it is a disaster. What excuse can leaders give except that they have embezzled funds meant to maintain the roads? Local governments receive monthly allocations and generate revenue. Why abandon Festac to collapse?
“This is wickedness. People are going through hell here, especially when it rains. Even light rain cripples the community. We can only appeal to the new local government chairman, who has started some repairs, to do more when the dry season comes. He should not follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.”
Neglect, Broken Promises, and a Fading Hope
Across both Yaba and Amuwo Odofin, residents say the story is the same: neglect, failed promises, and worsening infrastructure collapse
Repeated appeals to government agencies have gone unanswered, and intervention projects, when they start, drag on indefinitely. In the meantime, families lose homes and businesses, health risks escalate, and once-thriving communities slip into decay.
For residents, the fear is no longer about the next rainfall, but whether help will ever come, or if these Lagos communities will be left to drown under neglect.