Victor Ezeja
Some residents of Lagos State, Nigeria have expressed fear that flooding which occurred as a result of heavy downpour on Wednesday, might intensify Cholera outbreak.
Health authorities had in June, declared cholera outbreak in Lagos after recording 436 suspected cases of the disease. Subsequently, the state recorded 500 suspected and 43 confirmed cases, with a 5.4 per cent case fatality rate.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAlso, the disease was detected in Kirikiri Medium Security Prison in Lagos, raising more concerns about the impact.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Cholera which is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium called Vibrio cholerae, remains a global threat to public health and an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.
It is a disease caused by not having access to clean water and basic sanitation.
With the flooding of various parts of Lagos, there are concerns it might lead to further spread of the bacteria causing Cholera.
There was heavy rain which led to flooding of almost all parts of Lagos on Wednesday.
Places affected included Gbagada, Isolo, Oshodi, Ikeja, Ogba, Surulere, Ikoyi, Ijesha, Okokomaiko, Ibeju-Lekki, Greenland Estate in Mende, Lekki, and Ajah.
Major roads like Iyana-Oworonshoki linking the Third Mainland Bridge, LASU/Iba-Ojo road, Awolowo Road in Ikeja, Apapa-Gbagada expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan highway were flooded.
Videos shared on social media showed vehicles that were submerged and people stranded as water flooded the roads during the heavy rain on Wednesday. There was also traffic gridlock as vehicles couldn’t move.
Reacting to the incident, an X user identified as Much more Grace wrote: “This flooding is going to reactivate the cholera. It will also weaken house foundations and cause more building collapses, damage a lot of vehicles and properties.”
Some netizens blamed the flooding on poor environmental practices by residents such as improper disposal of waste and building on drainage channels.
“After blocking the drains with all forms of waste…you definitely will get this,” an X user.
Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said a team from the ministry was deployed to “monitor and clear the flash floods at the Olopomeji section of Iyana Oworo.”
Reacting to the commissioner’s post on X, some netizens urged him to investigate the root cause of the flooding, adding that such has not happened in that axis.
NiMet Predicts 3-Day Thunderstorm, Rains, Urges Residents To Take Precaution
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had alerted residents that there would be thunderstorms and rains from Wednesday to Friday across the country.
The agency in its weather outlook released on Tuesday in Abuja, predicted that there will be thunderstorms in parts of the North and continuous rains in the states across the Southern region.
NiMet therefore called on people to take adequate precaution for safety as there might be strong winds preceding the rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.
It also stressed the need for people to be careful in places that might witness heavy rain as it could lead to flooding.
“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue and Niger states in the North Central in the morning.
“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory and Benue states,” NiMet said.
It also gave a forecast that thunderstorms are expected over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Jigawa, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe states in the afternoon/evening of Wednesday.
For the southern part, the agency said morning rains are expected over parts of Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Ogun, Abia, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
It emphasised that continuous rain might lead to flooding in Lagos.
Thursday
For Thursday, NiMet, said morning thunderstorms are expected over parts of Kano, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states, with thunderstorms over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Jigawa states later in the day.
“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kogi and Niger states in the North Central in the morning,” it added.
“Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue states.
“Morning thunderstorms with rains are expected over parts of Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Lagos, Delta, Abia, Rivers, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in the Southern region.
“Rains are expected over the entire region during the afternoon and evening hours,” it said.
On Friday, NiMet projected thunderstorms in the morning across parts of the states of Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, and Gombe. Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated throughout the entire region. The North Central area was expected to have a partly cloudy sky in the morning, followed by thunderstorms later in the day over the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, and Kogi states.
“Morning rains are expected over parts of Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in the southern region.
“In the afternoon/evening hours, rains are expected over the entire region during the afternoon/evening hours,” NiMet said.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
