The Lagos State Government has announced plans to invest about $10 million in regenerating Makoko, the sprawling waterfront community, even as residents and civil society groups decry recent demolitions that have left families homeless and sparked protests demanding accountability from the police and government.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on E-GIS, Olajide Babatunde, said on Monday that the state will contribute $2 million, with the United Nations expected to provide up to $8 million for a “water city” project aimed at modernising the fishing community. The project, however, has not yet commenced.
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“So far, government intervention has focused only on removing structures within the high-tension power line corridor to prevent accidents in the event of fallen wires,” Mr Babatunde said.
He acknowledged that international donors are increasingly cautious in providing funding.
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“Funds are no longer easily available from most donor agencies. We are appealing to international partners and business organisations both within and outside Nigeria for support,” he added.
Mr Babatunde said residents had been consulted through engagements involving both government officials and United Nations representatives.
He also explained that the government had considered two options for Makoko: a shoreline extension and the water city project.
Experts and environmentalists raised concerns over the shoreline extension, leaving the water city as the only environmentally viable option.
“The water city project will be situated where the fishing community currently lives. No structures within this area have been affected. Any removals were limited strictly to the high-tension corridor,” he said.
Protests
Tensions over the demolitions escalated last Wednesday, as residents from Makoko, Owode-Onirin, Oworonshoki, Bariga, Ajegunle, and other affected communities staged a peaceful protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly, demanding compensation for properties destroyed during the government’s clearance exercises.
Civil rights activists and advocacy groups condemned the violent dispersal of the demonstrators and journalists covering the protest.
PREMIUM TIMES observed that the protest remained peaceful until shortly after 1 p.m., when police operatives moved in using tear gas and attempted arrests, including that of protest leader Hassan Soweto.
Elderly residents and children were reportedly affected, and several protesters sustained injuries, some requiring hospital treatment.
Speaking at the International Press Centre recently, Ayoyinka Oni of the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing, and Displacement described the police response as “brutality.”
Civic activist Ibrahim Oluwatoba, of Voice of the Masses, while speaking on the sidelines, alleged that police actions were deliberate and coordinated, despite prior notification of the protest’s peaceful intent.
Funmilade Ajayi, another activist who spoke on the sidelines, said women and children were disproportionately affected, citing injuries, trauma, and deaths.
Another speaker, Zikora Ibeh of CAPPA Africa added that many residents were prevented from presenting grievances to lawmakers.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had cited multiple court rulings that protect waterfront communities, including a 2017 Lagos State High Court judgment and an August 2025 Federal High Court order that restrained demolitions in Makoko and other settlements.
Lagos CP under fire over crackdown on protester
Rights groups, led by the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), have called for an independent investigation into the police crackdown and demanded the immediate removal of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh.
READ ALSO: Amid deaths, displacement Lagos State govt defends Makoko, other waterfront demolitions
At a press conference in Ogba on Monday, CHSR President Alex Omotehinse alleged that six young men from Owode-Onirin were killed during protests in August 2025, and that their deaths remain uninvestigated.
CHSR condemned attempts to portray protesters as “rented crowds” and described a “divide-and-rule” strategy aimed at isolating affected communities.
The group demanded compensation for victims, restoration of demolished properties, and independent inquiries into alleged police abuses.
Human rights activist Hassan Taiwo, also known as Soweto, accused Mr Jimoh of personally ordering and participating in his assault, unlawful detention, and attempted forced medication following a protest.
Calls for government accountability
Five days after the violent attack on peaceful protesters, the Lagos State House of Assembly invited leaders of Makoko and adjoining waterfront communities for a meeting to discuss petitions over demolitions.
Residents have alleged that government demolitions extended far beyond agreed safety setbacks, destroying homes, schools, and clinics, leaving many homeless.
Community leader Ojo Jide, a member of Slum Dwellers International, stated that the demolitions lacked proper documentation, rendering compensation or resettlement impossible.
“There is no profiling, no data capturing, no house numbering. How do you compensate people or resettle them when there is no record of what you have destroyed?” Mr Jide said.
While the Lagos State Government defends the demolitions as necessary for public safety, infrastructure protection, and enforcing urban planning standards, civil society organisations insist the demolitions are anti-poor, carried out without consultation, compensation, or resettlement.
A committee from the Lagos State House of Assembly is scheduled to meet with Makoko representatives this week to discuss grievances, while the water city project remains in the planning phase.
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