The Kreative Arts Foundation for Community Engagement (KafComE) has appealed to the Lagos State Government to suspend the ongoing demolition in the Makoko community to prevent residents from being rendered homeless.
The appeal was made in a statement on Thursday in Lagos by the Founder of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mr Willie Workman.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Makoko, a waterfront settlement in Lagos, has experienced a wave of demolitions since December 2025. The state government has maintained that the exercise is aimed at removing illegal structures erected within power-line setbacks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had defended the demolition, stating that it was carried out in the overriding public interest to avert potential tragedies, noting that several shanties were built directly under high-tension power lines.
However, KafComE noted that the exercise had displaced many residents, leaving them without shelter. Workman cited Article 25 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to an adequate standard of living, including housing.
He therefore called on the state government to complement the demolition with adequate compensation or proper resettlement for affected residents.
“The government should prioritise humane resettlement and compensation,” Workman said.
He further stressed the need for the Lagos State Government to recognise the community’s right to adequate housing in line with United Nations guidelines on development-based displacement, urging the provision of alternative accommodation and special protection for vulnerable groups within the community.