N環球 
Lagos: Days of Downpour Flood City, Airport Terminal Hit by Emergency Power Cut
Days of heavy rain that peaked Sunday night have left Lagos badly flooded. Floodwater reached the temporary international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, triggering an emergency electricity shutdown; knee-deep water closed parts of the Oshodi-Apapa expressway on Tuesday.
Why it matters
Lagos is Nigeria's commercial hub, and flooding is a recurring rainy-season problem — but this downpour has been intense, peaking on the night of Sunday, Oct. 4. From the mainland districts to upscale Lekki and Victoria Island, streets are waterlogged, and even the international airport was threatened, exposing the coastal megacity's fragile drainage.
What happened
On Sunday, floodwater reached the powerhouse of the temporary international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), triggering an emergency electricity shutdown to prevent a fire. Henry Agbebire, spokesperson for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said debris from the remodeling of the old international terminal had blocked surrounding drainage. Affected airlines were relocated to another terminal and normal operations resumed on Monday.
On Tuesday, knee-deep water hit the Anthony area and the Oshodi-Apapa expressway, a vital economic corridor, stranding vehicles as commuters abandoned buses to wade through. The Isheri-Oshun Road in the Ijegun community was also submerged, leaving residents stranded.
Tokunbo Wahab, Lagos commissioner for the environment and water resources, told local media on Monday that the main bottleneck is high lagoon water levels during intense rainfall, which stop stormwater from draining into the ocean. The state government says it has intensified year-round clearing of drainage networks and called for calm.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) forecast above-normal annual rainfall for Lagos in 2026, up to 2,010 mm in some divisions. The federal government has issued flood warnings for 24 states, including Lagos, for Sept. 27 to Oct. 10.
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