By Emmanuel Daniji

Music manager Ubi Franklin has claimed that he possesses a technology capable of clearing blocked gutters and drainage channels across Lagos State, potentially helping to reduce flooding in the city.

Franklin made the claim while recalling his experience during a major flood in Lagos in 2018, which he described as one of the worst flooding incidents he had personally witnessed.

According to him, the flooding was so severe that vehicles were submerged, while residents in some affected areas reportedly encountered crocodiles in the floodwaters.

Franklin said his own office was not spared, despite initially believing the building was safe from the rising water.

He recalled arriving at the office to find his Mercedes-Benz C300 surrounded by floodwater that had risen above the bonnet. He said the water was so high that someone sitting inside the vehicle would barely have been able to see the road ahead.

He had reportedly initially left the area in his Prado before returning after seeing reports of the flooding on social media. However, the situation had worsened by the time he returned, with floodwater reaching the engine level of the SUV.

Franklin said subsequent investigations by workers in the area suggested that construction activities had blocked some drainage channels, affecting the movement of water.

He argued that blocked gutters and gullies can worsen flooding, particularly during heavy rainfall when drainage systems need to carry large volumes of water away from residential and commercial areas.

The music manager has now offered what he says could be a possible solution.

Franklin claimed that he has access to a technology capable of opening blocked gutters and gullies, restoring the free flow of water across Lagos.

He specifically called on Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, to engage with him over the technology.

“I have something that if Tokunbo is ready, the commissioner, I can sit with him and discuss it. And all the gullies in Lagos will be open. I have it, it’s a technology.”

He further claimed that the technology could be deployed to improve drainage and help tackle one of Lagos’ long-standing environmental challenges.

“There’s a technology I have, right? That will open up all the gullies in Lagos and get free flow of water.”

Franklin’s comments come amid recurring concerns over flooding in different parts of Lagos, with blocked drainage channels, rapid urban development and heavy rainfall often cited among factors that can worsen the situation.

Whether the technology he referenced can be practically deployed at scale, however, remains to be established.