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Though the protest was dispersed, the grievances were not.<\/p>\n Makoko is not just a place on the Lagos lagoon; it is a living history of migration, survival, and cultural continuity that predates modern Lagos State. Long before skyscrapers and expressways defined Nigeria\u2019s commercial capital, Makoko existed as a fishing settlement established by the Egun (Ogu) people, who migrated from present-day Benin Republic in the 18th and 19th centuries.<\/p>\n The community grew organically along the waterfront, sustained by fishing, canoe-making, fish smoking, and lagoon-based trade. Homes were built on stilts above the water, schools and churches floated, and generations were raised navigating life by canoe rather than road. For residents, the lagoon was not a symbol of poverty\u2014it was livelihood, heritage, and home.<\/p>\n Yet, as Lagos expanded into a megacity, Makoko\u2019s existence became increasingly contested.<\/p>\n From Indigenous Settlement to \u201cIllegal Slum\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Colonial and post-colonial urban planning largely ignored waterfront communities like Makoko. Without formal land titles\u2014common among indigenous settlements across Nigeria\u2014Makoko residents were excluded from official city plans, public infrastructure, and basic services such as electricity, sanitation, and healthcare.<\/p>\n Over time, this exclusion hardened into stigma. Makoko was rebranded in official narratives as an \u201cillegal settlement\u201d or \u201cslum,\u201d despite its long history and vibrant internal economy. This label has repeatedly been used to justify demolitions rather than development.<\/p>\n Major demolition attempts date back to at least 2012, when the Lagos State government destroyed hundreds of waterfront homes, displacing thousands. Each wave of demolition followed a familiar pattern: little or no notice, no meaningful consultation, no resettlement plan, and no compensation.<\/p>\n Residents have consistently argued that they are not opposed to development\u2014but to development without people.<\/p>\n Today, Makoko is home to an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 people (figures vary due to lack of official census recognition). Despite systemic neglect, the community remains economically active: Makoko has also drawn global attention through architecture projects, documentaries, and urban studies that frame it as a model of climate-resilient, water-based living. Ironically, while international observers study Makoko as an innovation hub, its residents face daily threats of displacement at home.<\/p>\n The protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Ikeja was part of a growing resistance to renewed demolitions across waterfront and low-income communities in Lagos, including Makoko.<\/p>\n Residents and activists marched carrying photographs of flattened homes, displaced families, children, and elderly persons, chanting: Their demands were clear: Activists described the demolitions as inhumane, arguing that they violate constitutional rights to dignity, shelter, and fair hearing, as well as international human rights standards Nigeria has signed onto.<\/p>\n For Makoko residents, the use of force reinforced a long-standing belief that the state views them not as citizens to be engaged, but as obstacles to be removed.<\/p>\n Beyond Demolition: The Question Lagos Must Answer<\/strong><\/p>\n The Makoko struggle raises a fundamental question about Lagos\u2019 future: Can Africa\u2019s largest city modernize without erasing its poorest and oldest communities?<\/p>\n Urban experts argue that forced evictions deepen poverty, increase homelessness, and create long-term social instability. Community leaders insist that upgrading, land regularization, and participatory planning are not only possible\u2014but cheaper and more humane than demolitions.<\/p>\n Makoko\u2019s residents are not asking for luxury. They are asking for recognition, security, and a seat at the table when decisions about their lives are made.<\/p>\n Despite repeated threats, Makoko endures. Children still paddle to school. And residents, now joined by lawyers, activists, and civil society groups, continue to insist on a simple truth: Instead of dialogue, protesters on Wednesday were met with tear gas. They were protesting the recent demolition of their abode by the Lagos State Government. Police deployment at the Lagos State Assembly complex escalated tensions as canisters were fired to disperse the crowd. Panic followed. Protesters, residents, traders, and commuters fled in different directions, choking […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":97401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5777,7],"tags":[359,733,4107,7923,7922],"class_list":["post-97397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-features","category-news","tag-assembly","tag-lagos","tag-makoko","tag-slum","tag-tear-gas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/97401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Sanwo-Olu-768x576-1-300x225.jpeg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/images-33-1-300x200.jpeg\")
\n\u25aa\ufe0e Fishing and fish processing supply markets across Lagos
\n\u25aa\ufe0eInformal schools educate thousands of children
\n\u25aa\ufe0eArtisans, traders, and transporters sustain local commerce
\n\u25aa\ufe0eCommunity groups and NGOs provide healthcare, legal aid, and advocacy<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMakoko Is Not a Slum\u201d
\n\u201cNo Justice, No Peace\u201d
\n\u201cConsult the People\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u25aa\ufe0eAn immediate halt to forced evictions
\n\u25aa\ufe0eRespect for existing court orders restraining demolitions
\n\u25aa\ufe0eGenuine dialogue between government and affected communities<\/p>\n
\nCanoes still cut across the lagoon at dawn. Fish still smoke over open fires.<\/p>\n
\nMakoko is not a mistake. It is a community.
\nAnd until that truth is acknowledged, the struggle\u2014for justice, dignity, and the right to remain\u2014will continue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"