Residents of Makoko, a densely populated waterfront community along the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, on Tuesday, protested the demolition of their homes, which began about three weeks ago.
They accused the Lagos State Government of extending the exercise beyond the agreed 30-metre powerline setback without notice or resettlement plans.
The protesters, under the banner of the Makoko Community Development Association, blocked parts of the waterfront and prevented bulldozers from entering the community.
“We were not given any notice before they started pulling down our houses,” said Celestine Wada, a student and resident of Makoko, while speaking to PREMIUM TIMES at the community on Tuesday.
Mr Wada said dozens of wooden houses had already been destroyed, leaving many families displaced.
Many of the wooden houses are built on stilts along the lagoon while the rest of the houses in the community are on land.
Another resident, Kemi Adebayo, said many affected families were now sleeping in boats and under makeshift shelters after losing their homes.The protest which began at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, followed the release of a joint statement on Sunday, 9 January, by the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI) and other civil society groups, which accused the government of carrying out a mass forced eviction in Makoko, Oko Agbon and Sogunro waterfront communities.
According to the statement, the demolition began on 23 December 2025 to clear a 30-metre safety setback from a high-tension power line that runs between the communities and the Third Mainland Bridge.
Residents initially cooperated after being assured that the clearance would be limited and that compensation would be provided.
However, the groups said demolition equipment on 4 January moved far beyond the legally permitted setback, destroying homes deeper inside the communities and triggering protests on 4 and 5 January, which were met with police teargas.
They said the operation has since passed 100 metres, placing more than 80,000 Makoko residents and tens of thousands in neighbouring communities at risk of displacement.
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The Lagos State Government has said the demolitions are part of a wider plan to redevelop waterfront areas and increase revenue from coastal assets.
On Saturday, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Alebiosu, said the state had adopted a new profit-sharing model for waterfront projects such as Orange Island and the Odogun Waterfront.
However, housing rights groups warned that redevelopment without resettlement plans and respect for court orders could deepen poverty and trigger a humanitarian crisis in informal waterfront communities.
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