Residents of Makoko, a sprawling waterfront community in Nigeria’s commercial capital, are once again watching bulldozers tear through their homes. The demolitions have reignited a fierce national debate about poverty, urban planning and who has the right to live in Lagos.
Authorities in Lagos say the structures targeted in Makoko were illegal and posed environmental and safety risks. But community leaders and activists argue the demolitions are part of a pattern that disproportionately affects the urban poor while wealthier neighborhoods remain untouched.
Makoko, often described as the “Venice of Africa,” sits on stilts over the Lagos Lagoon. For decades, it has housed tens of thousands of residents; many of them fishermen, traders and low-income workers who rely on its proximity to the city’s economic center.
In recent days, residents reported that demolition teams arrived with little warning. Wooden homes were dismantled. Roofs collapsed into the water. Families scrambled to salvage belongings as children watched from canoes below.
“They didn’t give us enough time,” one resident told local media. “We don’t know where to go.”
The Lagos State Government has defended the operation, saying it is enforcing planning regulations and reclaiming waterfront land from illegal occupation. Officials argue that unchecked development in flood-prone areas puts lives at risk, especially during the rainy season.
But critics say the issue goes beyond zoning laws.
Human rights groups accuse authorities of targeting informal settlements to make way for luxury developments and waterfront projects aimed at attracting investment. They point to previous clearance operations in other low-income communities across Lagos, where residents were displaced without formal resettlement plans.
Urban policy analysts say Makoko has long symbolized Nigeria’s widening inequality. While high-rise apartments and gated estates continue to expand across Lagos, many working-class residents struggle with rising rents and limited access to affordable housing.
The demolitions have fueled accusations of classism, with social media users questioning why enforcement efforts appear concentrated in poorer districts. Some have called for inclusive urban planning that integrates informal communities rather than erasing them.
Nigeria’s constitution protects property rights, but land tenure in informal settlements is often undocumented or contested, leaving residents vulnerable to eviction. Legal experts say without formal titles, communities like Makoko remain in a precarious position.
For families who have lived on the lagoon for generations, the debate is not abstract. As the debris floats in the water and uncertainty hangs in the air, many are left wondering whether they will be allowed to rebuild or whether Makoko, as they know it, is slowly disappearing beneath the tide of urban redevelopment.