Community Resistance to Relocation Plans in Lagos
Residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Sogunro in the Yaba area of Lagos State have expressed strong opposition to their proposed relocation to the Epe area. This resistance follows the demolition of homes and recommendations from the state House of Assembly. The communities are now questioning the legitimacy of the relocation process and the lack of formal agreements with the government.
The Secretary of the Makoko Gunuvi Student Association, Zannu Silivester, emphasized that there is no relocation agreement between the communities and the state government. He explained that all previous discussions were based on debates and suggestions without any concrete outcomes.
“Every engagement so far has only involved suggestions and debates between the Lagos State Government and residents of the Makoko waterfront community. We are surprised that a conclusion was announced and published without the knowledge or agreement of the Makoko community,” Silivester said.
He also criticized the claim that the Oloto Royal Family are the ancestral owners of the waterfront communities. During visits to the Lagos State House of Assembly, Noheem Babatunde Adams stated that he did not recognize the Oloto family as the owners of Makoko. However, recent mentions of the Oloto family as owners have raised concerns among the residents.
“Makoko waterfront community has existed for decades, with the Ogu (Gunuvi) people as the original residents due to their traditional occupation of fishing, which requires close access to the water,” Silivester added.
Silivester noted that the residents would not hesitate to mobilize a peaceful protest to reject the proposed relocation. “The people of Makoko are law-abiding citizens, but we will continue to defend our rights, heritage and ancestral homes. We urge the government to fulfill the promises made to the citizens of Makoko and to engage with the community in a transparent and democratic manner.”
A community leader, Isaac Dosugan, echoed these sentiments. He mentioned that the agreement was for the government to define a boundary for them, and that the areas yet to be demolished should be developed into low-cost housing units for them.
“I was born in this community, and I am 75 years old. In all the meetings we had with the government, our suggestion was that the government should designate a boundary for us in the water area. We also suggested that they should develop the remaining areas for us into befitting residences. It is surprising that they are now saying that they will relocate us. We will not agree to this, and we reject any relocation plan,” Dosugan said.
The PUNCH reports that the Assembly recommended during a plenary on Tuesday that residents affected by the demolition in the waterfront communities be relocated to the Epe area of the state. The Assembly’s Public Affairs Directorate stated that the recommendation followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Rules and Business.
According to the statement, the resolution followed a petition addressed to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, titled, “Urgent Appeal Regarding Ongoing Mass Forced Eviction and Illegal Demolition Threatening Tens of Thousands in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro Communities.”
Presenting the report during plenary at the Committee of the Whole, the chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Noheem Adams, explained that the committee arrived at its conclusions after engaging the petitioners in five separate meetings and conducting an oversight visit with relevant government officials, agencies and representatives of the affected communities.
The statement noted that the demolition exercise carried out by the state government displaced many residents, including the elderly, women and children, while homes and properties were destroyed. According to the committee, the affected waterfront communities depend largely on fishing as their primary source of livelihood and have historically lived on the water because of the nature of their occupation.
The lawmakers recommended that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu direct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to vet the enumeration report submitted by the Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon communities. “The committee further recommended that the government relocate the remaining residents of Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon to a proposed low-cost housing estate to be constructed in the Agbowa area of the state, where they can continue their fishing activities,” the statement added.
The demolition, which began late last year, had displaced thousands of residents in the waterfront communities. This led to protests from community members and civil society groups who described the demolition as heavy-handed and demanded clear plans for resettlement and compensation.
