Lagos Commissioner’s Expensive Watches Raise Eyebrows Amid Flood Issues

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

Mr Wahab talked about an exchange on X with Babatunde Gbadamosi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deputy governorship candidate in Lagos. They were discussing how the state government is handling flooding and waste management.

What started as a talk about blocked drains, refuse collection, and flooding turned into a conversation about the commissioner’s lifestyle and the cost 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 say which models he owns, when he got them, or if he bought them before he became commissioner in September 2023.

Just saying the value of the watches does not prove any wrongdoing, and there is no evidence that public funds were used to buy them.

At a minimum of $80,000 each, the two watches would be worth at least $160,000 together.

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

This amount is roughly equal to 208 years of earnings for a Lagos civil servant who earns the state’s ₦85,000 monthly minimum wage, assuming the worker spends none of their salary.

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

A report by Encomium NG said a Lagos commissioner’s monthly salary is ₦520,878. PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm this figure from an official government pay schedule.

If this figure is correct, a commissioner earning that much would need to save every kobo for nearly 34 years to get ₦212.7 million.

The conversation started on 29 September after Mr Wahab replied to criticism of the state’s flood management efforts. This included comments from ADC governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

Mr Wahab argued that discussions about flooding in Lagos need to consider its coastal location, tidal locks, and the growing effects of climate change.

He said the state has put money into drainage systems and pump stations, keeps drainage channels clean year-round, and has taken steps to reduce flooding.

The commissioner also mentioned limits on styrofoam and single-use plastics, protecting wetlands, and removing buildings from areas prone to flooding.

He claimed these efforts had cut flooding incidents in Lagos by between 75 and 80 percent.

“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.”

Mr Gbadamosi rejected this explanation, saying the government has not done enough to deal with rubbish buildup and the limits of the current drainage system.

He called Mr Wahab’s response “plenty of prose, very little results.”

According to him, uncollected rubbish eventually ends up in drains when it rains, even when residents do not purposely dump trash 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 waste in the drains. The rain will do it for them.”

Mr Gbadamosi suggested quickly desilting drains and major channels, expanding roads and drainage networks, and building boardwalks and embankments around lagoons and rivers.

He also recommended putting in sluice gates and using high-powered pumps to move excess water.

The argument later turned personal, with Mr Gbadamosi questioning the price of Mr Wahab’s wristwatches. He promised to look into operations under the commissioner’s watch if the ADC wins the Lagos governorship election.

After the watches raised questions online, an X user named Salako asked how Mr Wahab could afford them on a monthly salary of about ₦500,000.

Mr Wahab dismissed this question, calling it a “poverty mentality.”

He argued that being in public office does not mean a person has no assets 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 did not share any details about his earnings or assets before he became commissioner.

Before this role in 2023, he was Special Adviser on Education to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu from 2019.

The discussion about his watches comes during tough economic times for many Nigerian families. The World Bank’s April 2026 Nigeria Development Update said household incomes have not fully bounced back and poverty remains high despite some improvements in the economy.

Mr Wahab is not the first Nigerian official to have his luxury wristwatch draw attention.

In 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu faced backlash after reports claimed a Patek Philippe watch he wore was worth about ₦160 million.

He was later seen 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 made headlines in December 2025 after being photographed at the Eyo Festival in Lagos wearing a rose-gold Patek Philippe Nautilus reportedly worth over $271,000.

Such displays have come under fire as Nigerians face rising living costs and less purchasing power.

In Mr Wahab’s case, the questions came during a public debate about flooding, uncollected rubbish, and the performance of the government department he heads.