Tokunbo Wahab Calls for Extending Lagos’ Great Wall to Protect the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway

Ademide Adebayo

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has stated that the Great Wall of Lagos must be extended to shield the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway from the Atlantic Ocean’s impact, arguing that the new coastal infrastructure requires additional shoreline protection.

During an interview on ARISE News Channel yesterday, Wahab explained that while the Great Wall of Lagos successfully protected the coastline it was originally designed for, the construction of the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway has created a need to extend that protection along the new coastal corridor.

When asked whether the Eko Atlantic reclamation project could pose future environmental challenges, Wahab defended the project, saying, “That was scientifically done in a way that would save the stretch.”

He added, “With the coastal road running parallel, that wall will go parallel.”

When questioned about additional measures needed to safeguard the coastline, Wahab replied, “Yes.”

Asked whether the Great Wall of Lagos would have to be extended along the Coastal Highway, he responded, “Because the coastal stretch must be protected.”

Wahab said the need for extra coastal protection is highlighted by drainage challenges that have arisen after the construction of the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway. He attributed flooding in parts of the Lekki corridor, including Ologolo, to changes in stormwater discharge caused by the project.

“Before the coastal road, there was no flooding at Ologolo. But the coastal road had to separate downstream from the outlet into the lagoon,” he said.

According to the commissioner, the Lagos State Government has already submitted its drainage master plan to the relevant federal authorities to address the issue.

“We’ve given the master plan to the Federal Ministry. They have to discharge it under the coastal road into the lagoon, not to the right of it,” he said.

The Great Wall of Lagos is an approximately 8.5‑kilometre sea revetment built to protect Victoria Island, Eko Atlantic and surrounding coastal areas from Atlantic Ocean erosion and storm surges. Constructed with millions of tonnes of rock and specially designed concrete accropodes, it forms the coastal defence system for the Eko Atlantic development.

The Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway is a proposed 700‑kilometre federal highway linking Lagos to Calabar through nine coastal states. The project is expected to improve connectivity, facilitate trade and strengthen economic integration along Nigeria’s southern coastline, with sections of the road currently under construction.