Lagos commissioner’s ₦212 million watches spark questions amid flooding row

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has drawn public attention after saying his two wristwatches are worth at least $160,000, or about ₦212 million.

Mr Wahab disclosed an exchange on X with Babatunde Gbadamosi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deputy governorship candidate in Lagos, about the state government’s handling of flooding and waste management.

What began as a debate about blocked drains, refuse collection, and recurrent flooding subsequently shifted to the commissioner’s lifestyle and the affordability of his luxury watches.

“As for my wristwatches, let me help you and your lazy followers out. I wear two at a time, and the least expensive of them costs no less than $80,000,” Mr Wahab wrote in a now-deleted post on Thursday.

“You should get your facts right; they are worth much more than that. And just so you know, they are among the finest collections from the Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe. Poor-minded, ignorant clown!”

Mr Wahab did not disclose the exact models, when he acquired them or whether he bought them before he was appointed commissioner in September 2023.

The disclosure alone does not establish wrongdoing, and no evidence has been presented that the watches were purchased with public funds.

What the watches are worth

At a minimum of $80,000 each, the two watches would have a combined value of at least $160,000.

Using the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official foreign exchange rate of approximately ₦1,329 to the dollar in late September, the watches would be worth about ₦212.7 million.

The figure is equivalent to approximately 208 years of earnings for a Lagos civil servant receiving the state’s ₦85,000 monthly minimum wage, assuming the worker spent none of the money.

The Lagos State Government confirmed it would implement the ₦85,000 minimum wage for its workers in 2025.

A report by Encomium NG put a Lagos commissioner’s monthly emolument at ₦520,878. PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the figure from an official government remuneration schedule.

If accurate, a commissioner earning that amount would need to save every naira for about 34 years to raise ₦212.7 million.

How the argument began

The exchange began on 29 September after Mr Wahab responded to criticism of the state government’s flood-management efforts, including comments by ADC governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

Mr Wahab argued that conversations about flooding in Lagos must account for its coastal geography, tidal locks, and the growing effects of climate change.

He said the state had invested in drainage infrastructure and pump stations, maintained drainage channels year-round, and carried out flood-abatement measures.

The commissioner also cited restrictions on styrofoam and single-use plastics, wetland protection, and removing buildings and other structures from flood-prone areas.

He claimed that the interventions had reduced flooding incidents across Lagos by between 75 and 80 per cent.

“On flooding, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s criticism must be viewed against the realities of Lagos’ coastal geography, tidal locks and the growing impact of climate change,” Mr Wahab said.

“As an architect, he should appreciate that even the most resilient drainage infrastructure cannot eliminate flash flooding in a coastal megacity.

“It is therefore misleading to suggest that flooding is being ignored or that no meaningful progress has been made. While challenges remain, the evidence of sustained interventions must form part of the conversation.”

Gbadamosi counters Wahab

Mr Gbadamosi rejected the explanation, arguing that the government had not adequately addressed the accumulation of refuse and the limitations of the existing drainage network.

He described the commissioner’s response as “plenty of prose, very little results”.

According to him, uncollected refuse is eventually washed into drains during rainfall, even where residents do not deliberately dump waste into drainage channels.

“If you’re not packing the refuse, it will stack up and be washed into the drainage by the rain,” he said. “Citizens don’t even have to dump their refuse in the drains. The rain will do it for them.”

Mr Gbadamosi proposed immediately desilting drains and major channels, expanding the road and drainage networks, and constructing boardwalks and embankments around lagoon and river corridors.

He also recommended installing sluice gates and deploying high-powered pumps to move excess water.

The disagreement later descended into personal attacks and allegations between the two men, with Mr Gbadamosi questioning the cost of Mr Wahab’s wristwatches and promising to scrutinise operations under the commissioner’s supervision if the ADC wins the Lagos governorship election.

‘Poverty mentality’

After the watches attracted questions online, an X user, Salako, asked how the commissioner could afford them on an estimated monthly salary of about ₦500,000.

Mr Wahab rejected the premise of the question, describing it as a “poverty mentality”.

He argued that appointment to public office did not mean an individual had no assets, career or financial standing before joining the government.

“It is actually a poverty mentality to think that anyone in public service does not, or must not, have a life before their appointment,” he wrote.

Mr Wahab, however, did not provide details about his professional earnings or assets before his appointment.

Before becoming Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources in 2023, he served as Special Adviser on Education to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu from 2019.

The debate over his watches comes amid economic pressure on Nigerian households. The World Bank’s April 2026 Nigeria Development Update said household incomes had not yet fully recovered and poverty remained high despite improvements in some macroeconomic indicators.

Luxury watches and Nigerian politicians

Mr Wahab is not the first Nigerian public official whose luxury wristwatch has attracted attention.

In 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu faced criticism after reports identified a Patek Philippe watch he wore as being worth about ₦160 million.

He was again photographed at the 2024 wedding of musician Davido and Chioma Rowland wearing another luxury watch reportedly valued at more than ₦190 million.

President Bola Tinubu also attracted public attention in December 2025 after being photographed at the Eyo Festival in Lagos wearing a rose-gold Patek Philippe Nautilus reportedly valued at more than $271,000.

Such displays have increasingly attracted scrutiny as Nigerians contend with rising living costs and declining purchasing power.

In Mr Wahab’s case, the questions arose amid a public debate about flooding, uncollected refuse, and the performance of the government department he oversees.