So you’re
on the move again and this
time you’re thinking of moving into a new house in Lagos. The bright lights of Lagos Island beckon you seductively, but
then someone sends you this video. You suddenly wake up to the news of terrible
flooding in this half of Lagos and immediately starts googling which areas will remain dry and motorable all year
round, and which area turns into a temporary kayak resort.
on the move again and this
time you’re thinking of moving into a new house in Lagos. The bright lights of Lagos Island beckon you seductively, but
then someone sends you this video. You suddenly wake up to the news of terrible
flooding in this half of Lagos and immediately starts googling which areas will remain dry and motorable all year
round, and which area turns into a temporary kayak resort.
The following are 6 places on Lagos Island that will not disappear underwater
whenever the monsoon rains come around in between July and October.
whenever the monsoon rains come around in between July and October.
1. Gerard Road/Alexander
Avenue/Bourdillon Road
This
ultra-mega-super-duper expensive stretch of prime Ikoyi real estate benefits
from a close proximity to the Lagos lagoon, and a modern, well-built
underground drainage system. So whenever the rains come pouring down, the
potential floodwaters simply cascade into the lagoon and leave this glittering
expanse of eye-watering costliness looking even more glittery than normal.
ultra-mega-super-duper expensive stretch of prime Ikoyi real estate benefits
from a close proximity to the Lagos lagoon, and a modern, well-built
underground drainage system. So whenever the rains come pouring down, the
potential floodwaters simply cascade into the lagoon and leave this glittering
expanse of eye-watering costliness looking even more glittery than normal.
The
area is so well-designed and constructed that you can enjoy the experience of a
few waterside bars and hangouts at the aptly-named Waterside area, even amidst
the heaviest of showers. However, not all
of this area is the perma-dry Island utopia I am describing. Some areas
inside Parkview Estate and even Banana Island are prone to flooding, so if you
have the minimum N3m budget for the average one-bedroom flat in the so-called
“New Ikoyi”, make sure it is close to the road.
area is so well-designed and constructed that you can enjoy the experience of a
few waterside bars and hangouts at the aptly-named Waterside area, even amidst
the heaviest of showers. However, not all
of this area is the perma-dry Island utopia I am describing. Some areas
inside Parkview Estate and even Banana Island are prone to flooding, so if you
have the minimum N3m budget for the average one-bedroom flat in the so-called
“New Ikoyi”, make sure it is close to the road.
2. Oniru
While
substantially less aesthetically developed or well-built than New Ikoyi, Oniru
has a similar design advantage in the sense that it has close proximity to the
Atlantic ocean, and its (admittedly rudimentary) drainage infrastructure
coupled with its height above sea level keeps it relatively dry all year round.
The bumpy, irritating, poorly-laid interlocking stone roads are an
inconvenience, as they are very hard-wearing on vehicle tyres, but look on the
bright side – if you stay in Oniru, you can save the money on engine flooding
repair and spend it on a
set of new tyres every 6 months instead. Your contemporaries in Agungi spend
money on repairing their flooded car engines and still need to replace their tyres often too, so your N2.5m
average rent gets you some value.
substantially less aesthetically developed or well-built than New Ikoyi, Oniru
has a similar design advantage in the sense that it has close proximity to the
Atlantic ocean, and its (admittedly rudimentary) drainage infrastructure
coupled with its height above sea level keeps it relatively dry all year round.
The bumpy, irritating, poorly-laid interlocking stone roads are an
inconvenience, as they are very hard-wearing on vehicle tyres, but look on the
bright side – if you stay in Oniru, you can save the money on engine flooding
repair and spend it on a
set of new tyres every 6 months instead. Your contemporaries in Agungi spend
money on repairing their flooded car engines and still need to replace their tyres often too, so your N2.5m
average rent gets you some value.
3. Eko Atlantic
Eko
Atlantic originally began as an anti-coastal erosion project by the Lagos state
government. It later morphed into an entire city development plan under private
ownership, and after studies carried out at the University of Copenhagen in
Denmark, a system was designed to make sure the sea never breaches the city,
and the city drains itself adequately and reliably.
Atlantic originally began as an anti-coastal erosion project by the Lagos state
government. It later morphed into an entire city development plan under private
ownership, and after studies carried out at the University of Copenhagen in
Denmark, a system was designed to make sure the sea never breaches the city,
and the city drains itself adequately and reliably.
The Great Wall of Lagos ensures that the Atlantic never
bursts its banks, and the city’s bottom-up approach to infrastructure building
has created a truly modern urban area with centralized sewerage, city-wide
underground drainage, and a road network that is fully integrated with the
drainage system, as against the typical Lagos road which has drainage as an
afterthought.
bursts its banks, and the city’s bottom-up approach to infrastructure building
has created a truly modern urban area with centralized sewerage, city-wide
underground drainage, and a road network that is fully integrated with the
drainage system, as against the typical Lagos road which has drainage as an
afterthought.
4. Adeniji Adele Estate
Sited
at the mouth of 3rd Mainland Bridge at Adeniji Adele, this housing
development enjoys one of the highest above-sea-level locations on Lagos
Island, and its central (but ancient and poorly maintained) drainage system
runs off directly into the Lagos Lagoon underneath. It also has the added bonus
of being one of the few places on the Island that is genuinely affordable,
presumably due to a location that some deem as less than desirable. This
location however gives easy access to some of the best arts and entertainment
venues on the Island including the MUSON Centre, Onikan Stadium, City Mall
Onikan and the National Museum.
at the mouth of 3rd Mainland Bridge at Adeniji Adele, this housing
development enjoys one of the highest above-sea-level locations on Lagos
Island, and its central (but ancient and poorly maintained) drainage system
runs off directly into the Lagos Lagoon underneath. It also has the added bonus
of being one of the few places on the Island that is genuinely affordable,
presumably due to a location that some deem as less than desirable. This
location however gives easy access to some of the best arts and entertainment
venues on the Island including the MUSON Centre, Onikan Stadium, City Mall
Onikan and the National Museum.
5. Osborne Foreshore Estate
Despite
its relatively low water clearance height, this area benefits from being
superbly planned and well-built. Its drainage system is connected to a nearby
canal which runs into the lagoon, and its roads are also integrated into the
drainage system.
its relatively low water clearance height, this area benefits from being
superbly planned and well-built. Its drainage system is connected to a nearby
canal which runs into the lagoon, and its roads are also integrated into the
drainage system.
The
only reason it is probably not more popular as a rental destination is its
nose-bleed real estate costs, which start from N8m annually for a 4-bedroom
duplex.
only reason it is probably not more popular as a rental destination is its
nose-bleed real estate costs, which start from N8m annually for a 4-bedroom
duplex.
6. Platinum Rows Estate
Nestled
in between the notoriously flood-prone areas of Agungi and Jakande along the
Lekki-Epe Expressway, and hidden by a truly terrible access road that itself
floods regularly, you would be forgiven for having no idea that there is any
human habitation somewhere in there. When you manage to make it past the
tyre-damaging obstacle course of a road that leads to the estate, your mouth
will then drop open as you realise what your eyes are seeing. It’s like
swimming through a river in your car and then discovering Atlantis.
in between the notoriously flood-prone areas of Agungi and Jakande along the
Lekki-Epe Expressway, and hidden by a truly terrible access road that itself
floods regularly, you would be forgiven for having no idea that there is any
human habitation somewhere in there. When you manage to make it past the
tyre-damaging obstacle course of a road that leads to the estate, your mouth
will then drop open as you realise what your eyes are seeing. It’s like
swimming through a river in your car and then discovering Atlantis.
Platinum
Rows Estate is an impossibly well-built, shiny and well-maintained private
estate divided into picture perfect rows and terraces.
Rows Estate is an impossibly well-built, shiny and well-maintained private
estate divided into picture perfect rows and terraces.
Since
the entire estate is built on a raised platform, it has zero flooding issues,
and the only sign of the Lekki monsoon chaos outside is the mud tracked in by
the residents’ cars and SUVs.
the entire estate is built on a raised platform, it has zero flooding issues,
and the only sign of the Lekki monsoon chaos outside is the mud tracked in by
the residents’ cars and SUVs.