Makoko demolition: We’re after safety of lives, properties; declares palliatives support
File photo: Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has defended the demolition of structures in Makoko.
The waterfront community has faced recent demolitions since December 2025, an action the government said was necessary to remove structures on power-line setbacks.
Speaking on Monday after signing the N4.4tn 2026 appropriation bill into law, the governor said the Makoko demolition was carried out to avert tragedy.
The governor said, “The safety of lives and property is paramount and must be safeguarded. I just explained to you that a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of fuel fell on a bridge and spilt fuel, and over 100 people were there scooping it.
“We had to deploy our first responders to address the situation. If anything had happened, this is not what we would be talking about.
“It’s a similar thing we’re doing in Makoko. Of what interest would it be for the government to demolish anyone’s structure if not for the overall safety of citizens?”
He said a lot of people had built shanties under high-tension wires.
“What we are doing is not demolishing the whole of Makoko. We are clearing areas to ensure they do not encroach on the Third Mainland Bridge and to keep residents away from high-tension lines. We are aware that some local and international NGOs want to profit from this.
“We are studying it and will present evidence. They make so much money from international donors and have asked for large grants concerning these areas, only to cover their own falsehoods and the fact that they have not done what they promised. That is why they are shouting and crying more than the bereaved.
“We’ve been on this for two and a half years and have held meetings with them. We cannot fold our arms and allow calamity to happen,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu also announced that he had ordered relevant authorities to roll out palliative measures for affected residents.
He said, “By the way, I’ve instructed both the local government and the relevant ministries to see how they can provide additional support, palliatives, relocation options, and grants for some of these people, just to show compassion.”
Makoko, a densely populated waterfront settlement in Lagos, has long faced threats of eviction and demolition due to its informal status and proximity to key urban infrastructure.
Over the years, rights groups and civil society organisations have repeatedly called on the government to adopt inclusive urban renewal policies that balance development with human rights protection.
Previous demolition exercises in waterfront communities across Lagos have often drawn criticism from local and international observers, particularly over the absence of resettlement plans and the impact on livelihoods.
On Monday, an organisation, the Foundation for Peace Professionals, raised the alarm over the ongoing demolition in Makoko.
The organisation, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, on Sunday and made available to PUNCH Online, expressed concern over the manner of the demolition, describing it as inhumane and potentially destabilising.
While acknowledging the constitutional powers of the state government to enforce urban planning regulations and ensure public safety, PeacePro said such enforcement must be guided by human rights principles and social responsibility.
Hamzat noted that the demolition had displaced many residents and exposed them to severe hardship.
“Women and children were the most affected. Urban development must not be pursued through shock enforcement.
“When planning intervention produces homelessness overnight, it ceases to be development and becomes displacement,” Hamzat said.
