Developing Appropriate Techniques to Alleviate the Ogun River Network Annual Flooding Problems

The perennial annual f looding problems occurring in Lagos and Ogun States during the rainy season due largely to release of excess water from the multi-purpose Oyan Dam reservoir built across Oyan River, a tributary of Ogun River, located in Abeokuta North Local Government of Ogun State, has reached unacceptable level. Annually, the f looding hazard causes severe economic, social, ecological and environmental impacts such as displacement of no less than 1,280 residents, interruption of major roads which inevitably leads to loss of valuable man-hours, infection of surface and ground water leading to increased incidences of water-borne diseases, disruption of commercial and educational activities and recession of shoreline. This paper reviews the genesis and root causes of the f looding problems with a view to proffer the best approach to alleviate and solve this problem on a permanent basis combining hydraulic and hydrological best practices.