AMPHIBIOUS excavators escorted by armed police have razed hundreds of wooden shacks in Makoko, Africa’s largest and most iconic floating slum, displacing thousands of residents in recent days.
The community, built on stilts above Lagos Lagoon, has long been a symbol of resilience in Nigeria’s urban landscape, yet it frequently finds itself at the centre of land disputes.
The latest demolition operation is part of a campaign by the Lagos State government to remove what it labels illegal structures, a move critics argue is aimed at reclaiming waterfront land for real-estate development.
Rights groups report that three people, including two infants, have died from teargas-related effects since the clearances began two days before Christmas.
Residents say the demolitions—estimated by NGOs to have displaced over 30,000 people—were conducted without warning, a claim the government disputes.
Alex Wusa, a 25-year-old teacher, told AFP, “They treated us like we are less than animals. My house has been demolished, my shop has been demolished, even the school where I teach has been demolished.”
Estimates of Makoko’s population vary widely, from around 80,000 according to NGO JEI to over 300,000, according to local chiefs.
Makoko, largely lacking electricity, water, and schools, has been home to low-income earners for over a century, many of whom rely on fishing and informal trade.
The settlement has faced similar demolition drives in 2005 and 2012, the latter resulting in the death of a community leader.
AFP’s recent visit found families, including children, sleeping in canoes after heavy rainfall soaked their makeshift shelters.
Fishmonger Iyabo Olaleye said, “This suffering is too much. The rain drenched my children, and I have nowhere to go.”
Lagos state officials defend the demolition as necessary for safety and urban renewal, citing structures built within 100 metres of high-tension transmission lines.
Urban renewal head Gbolahan Oki claimed residents were warned in advance, though NGOs dispute that demolitions adhered strictly to the 100-metre limit.
Critics argue that the government is colluding with powerful landowners and developers to reclaim valuable shoreline, pointing to similar recent demolitions in Oworonshoki and nearby reclaimed areas.
Experts highlight the broader housing crisis in Lagos, where informal settlements like Makoko coexist with empty, high-rent homes in affluent districts.
University of Lagos professor Timothy Nubi said nearly half the state’s population lives in slums and called for “gentrification” approaches that upgrade housing without displacing residents.
The demolition of Makoko underscores the tension between urban development and social equity in Lagos, a megacity struggling with housing shortages while attempting to modernize its waterfront.