The STEM4Climate Fellowship, Nigeria’s first
cohort-based climate fellowship for women in STEM, conducted a flood, drainage, and waste mapping exercise on Saturday along Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, generating data to support long-term solutions to recurring flooding in the area.
The fellowship worked alongside the Lagos State Office of Drainage Services & Water Resources to desilt some of the tougher sections of drainage and assess the system, with the Office also providing historical context on the road’s drainage layout. The fellowship also donated sanitation equipment to the community, including rain boots, brooms, waste pickers, dustbins, and dustpans.
The exercise combined drainage assessment, clean-up, waste mapping, and community sensitization to identify flood hotspots and blockages along the corridor, while introducing residents to platforms for reporting climate-related incidents and monetizing recyclable waste.
Data from the exercise will feed into a flood mapping report to be presented to relevant
ministries and agencies, with findings also shared at the State of Impact Summit 2026, the
cohort’s graduation and project showcase.
Speaking at the exercise, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the STEM4Climate Fellowship, Ini-Obong Antaih, stressed that the project was developed as part of the fellowship’s practical approach to helping women in STEM apply their knowledge to local climate challenges.
“As part of the programme, we decided to carry out a practical project, and we narrowed it down to Ago Palace Way because we know that we are in the rainy season and some parts of Lagos typically experience flooding. We conducted a survey and realised that even after the rain stops, Ago Palace Way remains flooded for a long time. We want people to understand that excessive waste on Ago Palace Way is one of the factors contributing to the flooding and that everyone has a role to play in keeping the drainage system free of waste,” she said.
The Head, Business and Project Support, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Ayobami Okanola, urged residents to see waste as a resource that could create economic opportunities when properly collected and recycled.
The Chairman, Okota Local Council Development Area, Ogundipe Benjamin, commended the fellowship and pledged support for continued sensitization on waste disposal in the area. The Chief Environmental Officer, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government, Sanitarian Ojedele Olajide, urged residents to use covered bins and avoid dumping refuse into drainage channels, noting that blocked drains restrict rainwater flow.
Head, Business and Project Support, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Ayobami Okanola, and project lead, EcoHealthAfrica, Oladipupo Afuwape, during the Flood Mapping & Sensitization organized by STEM4Climate Fellowship, held at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos recently.
