Ongoing Demolitions in Makoko Displace Residents and Spark Humanitarian Concerns

By FRANCIS DIVINE MERCY   240912163

LAGOS, NIGERIA  The historic waterfront community of Makoko, often cited as the world’s largest floating settlement, has been reduced to a scene of devastation following a sustained demolition exercise by the Lagos State Government. What began as a targeted removal of structures near high tension power lines in late December 2025 has escalated into a large-scale if displacement crisis, leaving over 40,000 residents the majority of whom are children homeless and adrift.

The Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has defended the operation as a vital "public interest" safety measure. Officials argue that shanties sprawling beneath high voltage cables and obstructing vital waterways posed an imminent risk of electrocution and environmental disaster.

   "I am not going to sit down and watch something drop off, and in one day, over 100 to 500 people will die," Governor Sanwo-Olu stated during a recent security briefing.However,residents and urban planners tell a different story.

However, residents and urban planners tell a different story. 

45 year old tailor Stella Okon said. "I didn't just lose walls today," she said, wiping dust from her brow. I lost the only way I knew how to feed my three daughters. Where do we go when the sun sets?

19 year old student Blessing Igwe sees it differently. "They call it renewal, but I call it erasure," she said, How can you renew a city by making its people homeless?

While initial warnings cited a 30 meter safety buffer from power lines, survivors claim the "caterpillars" (excavators) extended their reach to 200 meters, leveling schools, clinics, and churches that had stood for decades. Environmental activists, including Deji Akinpelu of Rethinking Cities, have described the aftermath as a "war zone," suggesting that safety is a pretext for classism and the eventual reclamation of prime waterfront land for luxury developments.

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, hundreds of displaced residents marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly. The peaceful demonstration turned chaotic when security forces deployed tear gas and, according to community leaders, live ammunition to disperse the crowd. While the Lagos State Police Command denied the use of firearms, footage of injured protesters has fueled public outrage.

Despite the outcry, there is currently no formal resettlement plan or compensation package for the displaced. Families are now sleeping in open canoes on the lagoon, exposed to the elements and rising insecurity.

Urban planning experts argue that the Makoko situation highlights a systemic failure in Lagos's approach to "mega-city" status. Instead of the "in-situ" upgrading promised by past World Bank-funded projects, the state continues to favor forced evictions. This "top-down" urbanization often overlooks the socio-economic contributions of informal settlements, leading to increased homelessness and a growing "urban poor" class that is pushed further into the margins.

As of February 2026, the atmosphere in Makoko remains tense. Task force officials continue to guard the ruins to prevent residents from rebuilding, while civil society groups are calling for an immediate moratorium on further demolitions and a human-rights-based approach to relocation.