The Lagos Assembly has ordered a stop to the Makoko demolition.
Newsone Nigeria reports that the Lagos State House of Assembly has intervened in the recent demolitions in Makoko, urging ministries and agencies to halt all ongoing clearance activities in the area.
A meeting led by Majority Leader Noheem Adams, who also chairs the House Committee on Makoko Demolition, brought together residents affected by the demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Afon, and Shogunro. The session aimed to address the concerns arising from the exercise and chart a way forward.
The Lagos Assembly Majority Leader directed all ministries involved in the demolition to stop further operations, assuring residents that assembly members would conduct on-the-spot assessments to verify the setbacks and challenges being faced by the community.
Adams also revealed that community leaders will be elected to serve on a Taskforce Committee to ensure local representation in discussions about the area’s redevelopment.
“The state government will continue to protect lives and property,” Adams stated, “and will not ignore the dangers attributed to living under high tension.”
The Assembly also expressed dissatisfaction with Bayo Adefuye, Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area, for distributing food items to displaced residents. The lawmakers argued that shelter, not palliative support, was the urgent need for the affected families.
Olajide Babatunde, Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development, said at the meeting that the Lagos State government has consistently engaged with the Makoko community on the ongoing regeneration plan.
The Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development emphasised that there is no plan to wipe out Makoko, noting that demolitions have already been suspended.
He disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has allocated $2 million for Makoko’s development, stating that the community will remain because it is “part of Lagos history.”
Babatunde further assured residents that those impacted by the demolitions would be properly compensated.
Some community leaders added that they no longer wish for NGOs to represent them, preferring to dialogue directly with the government, and appealed for an immediate halt to the demolition exercises.
Officials explained that the demolition was conducted for safety and urban renewal reasons, targeting all structures built within 100 metres of transmission lines crossing the lagoon. The state government maintains that the exercise is necessary to protect residents while facilitating the community’s long-term redevelopment.
