ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Resour. Manag.
Sec. Safe and Just Resource Management
Volume 4 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsrma.2025.1659930
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Dynamics of Sustainable, Inclusive and Equitable Human Settlements (Volume 2): Pan African City Symposium 2025View all articles
Drowning in Urban Growth: Rethinking Flood Resilience and Spatial Equity in Lagos, Nigeria
Provisionally accepted
- 1Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 041006, Nigeria
- 2Cukurova Universitesi, Adana, Türkiye
- 3The University of Tennessee Knoxville VolShop, Knoxville, United States
- 4Universite Mohammed VI Polytechnique, Ben Guerir, Morocco
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Urban flooding in Africa, exacerbated by climate change, represents a major challenge. However, few studies have explored the link between rapid urbanization and increased flooding, especially in megacities like Lagos. This study aims to analyze the interactions between rapid urbanization and flood risks in Lagos, identify contributing factors, and propose guidelines to strengthen urban resilience based on existing initiatives. Urbanization data were sourced from the UN-Habitat database, while flood data were obtained from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) developed by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. The analysis combines time series methods with a qualitative review of secondary data. Urbanization trends show dynamic growth in Nigeria, with Lagos experiencing a striking increase in population from 7.28 million (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000) to 17.15 million (2020-2025), a rate 2.4 times higher than the national average. Spatial analysis of flood disasters reveals a high concentration in Lagos (35 events), with Victoria Island's Lekki area (7 events), and districts like Kosofe, Ikeja, and Agege (3 events each) among the most affected. Qualitative analysis highlights multiple flood causes categorized into environmental, socio-economic, institutional, and structural factors. Impacts include degradation of agricultural land, water pollution, erosion, and severe socio-economic consequences such as infrastructure damage, crop loss, and increased poverty. Health-related impacts, including the spread of infectious diseases, are also significant. Despite these challenges, Lagos has launched resilience initiatives, such as the construction of modern infrastructure like the Great Wall of Lagos and the creation of institutional frameworks like the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).However, their effectiveness is limited by issues related to governance, trust, and community engagement. In this context, strengthening communication and awareness, integrating early warning systems tailored to climate realities, and involving local communities in flood management solutions are essential. These actions can foster trust and commitment, ultimately enhancing urban resilience in Lagos.
Keywords: Floods, Urbanization, resilience, factors, Lagos
Received: 04 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 DOSSA, MIASSI, Bakary and OGOU. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kossivi Fabrice DOSSA, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 041006, Nigeria
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