Lagos Assembly orders suspension of Makoko demolitions

By Oguadimma Chisom 

The Lagos State House of Assembly has directed all ministries and agencies involved in the demolition exercise in Makoko and other waterfront communities to immediately halt the exercise.

The directive followed a meeting held today at the Lagos State House of Assembly between lawmakers and residents of Makoko who were affected by recent demolitions in the area.
The meeting, which was led by the Majority Leader of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Makoko Demolition, Noheem Adams, was convened to address complaints arising from the demolition exercise in Makoko and Oworonshoki communities.

The complaint
The community has raised serious concerns over the ongoing demolition, citing fears that the government might go beyond the 522-meter range.

“The community is asking for a stop to the ongoing demolition because it is not certain that the government will not go beyond the 522-meter range. They want assurances that this demolition is not being carried out in vain and that the government’s true intentions are made clear,” a community spokesperson said.
Residents whose properties have already been destroyed are calling for restoration, restitution, and compensation.

They emphasized their commitment to cooperating peacefully with the government on development plans, but insisted that their rights and livelihoods must be protected.

Assembly directives
Adams directed that all demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Afon, and Shogunro communities be suspended until further notice. Speaking on behalf of the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, and other committee members, Adams said the decision was taken after listening to submissions from residents.

“We have taken a decision on this matter after listening carefully to the people,” he said. He added, “On behalf of the Speaker of the Assembly and all members of this committee, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Okawam and Shomolu must stop until further notice. I repeat, all demolitions must stop. That is our policy.”

The lawmaker disclosed that a task force would be constituted to address issues arising from the demolitions, noting that community leaders would be elected as members of the committee.

“We want to constitute a task force, and this committee will sit on that task force. All residents must be genuinely involved in the process,” he said.

Adams further assured residents that lawmakers would conduct an on-the-spot assessment in the affected areas to determine the exact setback being enforced by the government and promised compensation for residents whose properties had already been destroyed.

Lawmakers criticize palliatives
Lawmakers also criticised the Executive Chairman of the Yaba Local Council Development Area, Dr. Bayo Adefuye, over the distribution of food items to displaced residents. According to the House, “what they need is shelter, not palliatives.”

Dr. Adefuye, however, explained that his office had not been informed before the demolition began. “I would have held a stakeholder meeting to inform them of the way forward, but once I heard, I went there to appeal to them and decided to provide some palliatives,” he said.

He added that affected residents received rice, beans, garri, and money.
Adams commended Dr. Adefuye’s effort but raised concerns about the practicality of the assistance. He questioned, “Where would these homeless people cook these palliatives?” and suggested providing temporary accommodation, such as apartments or a camp, for the displaced residents.

He further emphasized, “This is high time we define the meaning of palliatives. Ten kilograms of rice or twenty thousand naira cannot be called palliative; anything below 500 thousand naira cannot be called palliative.”

Government response

Also speaking at the meeting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on e-GIS and Urban Development, Olajide Babatunde, said the state government had consistently engaged the Makoko community on its regeneration plans.
He added that the Governor has ordered a further halt to the demolition and directed the constitution of a task force, which will include the chairman of the local government.

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Speaking on restoration and restitution plans, he said, “The Governor has instructed the Executive Chairman, Dr. Bayo Adefuye, to distribute palliatives.”
Correcting misconceptions about the status of the people of Makoko, Babatunde said, “The people of Makoko are not poor people, they are an indigenous fishing community that must remain and be protected. The government has no plans to remove them from the land.”

He noted that authorities are now working with international agencies to ensure proper support and sustainable solutions for the community.
Babatunde further said that the United Nations was expected to contribute up to $8 million for a proposed “water city” project aimed at modernising the fishing community, although the project has not commenced.

“So far, government intervention has focused only on removing structures within the high-tension power line corridor to prevent accidents,” he said, assuring residents that those affected would be duly compensated.