Lagos lagoon shanties bulldozed and burnt
Shanty structures built on the waters of a Lagos lagoon have been bulldozed and burned, leaving many residents displaced and raising serious concerns among rights groups about forced evictions and human suffering in Nigeria’s largest city. The demolitions are part of a wider campaign targeting informal settlements on Lagos’ waterfront communities, including the historic Makoko slum, where tens of thousands of low-income families live in homes on stilts above the lagoon.
The recent action saw wooden homes and shanties torn down, with some structures reportedly set ablaze, forcing families to flee with almost no notice. Among those affected was a mother of five whose lagoon-side wooden home was demolished during the operation. Residents describe the demolitions as sudden and devastating, with little time to collect belongings before their shelters were destroyed.
Advocacy groups both inside Nigeria and internationally have condemned the demolitions, arguing that they violate legal protections, court orders and human rights standards. A coalition of rights organisations said the government’s approach left families, including children and the elderly, homeless and exposed to the elements, often with no formal plan for resettlement or support. They noted that homes, schools, clinics and places of worship were lost, and that the brutal nature of the evictions has had dire humanitarian consequences.
The crisis in Lagos is not new. Informal lagoon communities have endured a long history of insecurity, inadequate services and pressure from urban development interests as Nigeria’s commercial capital expands rapidly. Critics say the demolitions are part of a pattern of forced evictions that prioritise land reclamation and real estate projects over the welfare of vulnerable residents, many of whom have lived in these settlements for generations.
Residents and rights groups have called for an immediate halt to the destruction and for authorities to implement humane, lawful alternatives that include fair relocation plans, adequate compensation and involvement of the affected communities in decision-making. They argue that sustainable solutions should ensure shelter, livelihoods and dignity for those displaced by these lagoon-side clearances.
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