By Oluwasore Alabi
Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing narrowly escaped harm on Tuesday when a portion of the POP ceiling in her Lekki home collapsed without warning, highlighting once again the growing concerns over structural and environmental safety in one of Lagos’ most expensive neighborhoods.
The actress shared a video of the incident on Instagram, showing damage inside her home. She expressed her shock and frustration, noting that the ceiling fell dangerously close to her new car. “Thank God no be inside house and my new car no Dey there…wetin I for talk abeg? It’s well with una Lekki developers,” she wrote, hinting at a broader issue affecting many residents in the area.
While this might seem like an isolated incident, it fits into a troubling pattern. In recent years, Lekki which was once marketed as a haven for luxury living, has become synonymous with poor infrastructure, building collapses, and worst of all, flooding that paralyzes the city every rainy season. Just a few months ago, entire neighborhoods in Lekki were submerged after heavy rainfall, leaving homes, cars, and roads under water for days.
The recurring flooding and now collapsing ceilings point to a deeper crisis: poor urban planning and unchecked property development. Developers continue to build high-priced properties on wetlands without adequate drainage systems, proper foundations, or government oversight. The result? Buildings that can’t withstand weather changes and roads that turn to rivers with the slightest rain.
Nkechi Blessing’s case is only different because of her public status. For every celebrity that speaks out, hundreds of everyday people suffer in silence, living in homes that are either slowly falling apart or surrounded by knee-deep water. This isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s dangerous. From electrical hazards to disease outbreaks and now structural collapses, Lekki is fast becoming a cautionary tale of what happens when money and speed override safety and planning.
Ironically, Lekki is still considered prime real estate. Land prices keep rising. Developers keep selling. But the quality of life for residents keeps falling. If celebrities like Nkechi Blessing, with the resources to choose “the best,” are having these experiences, what hope is there for the average citizen?
It’s time for the Lagos State Government and regulatory bodies to enforce strict building codes, review existing developments, and hold developers accountable. Residents should not have to fear for their lives every time it rains or sleep under ceilings that might collapse.
Lekki’s problems are not just about weather. They are man-made, caused by greed, neglect, and a lack of accountability. As the rainy season continues, one has to ask, how many more warnings will it take before something changes?
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