GENEVA (19 February 2026) – Nigeria must immediately
end all demolitions and violent evictions in waterfront
areas of Lagos once and for all, UN experts* said
today.
“More and more urban poor in Lagos are losing
their homes, access to services and opportunities, while the
government justifies these actions in the name of
development,” the experts said.
The eviction drive
which started in July 2023 has already impacted tens of
thousands of people in Oworonshoki, Oko
Baba, Aiyetoro, Ilaje-Otumara
and Baba Ijora, and other communities of the Lagos
lagoon, which is considered a prime site for luxury housing
development.
“Instead of improving access to basic
services and infrastructure for residents, authorities seem
to use their longstanding neglect to justify the
demolitions,” the experts said.
In the latest
demolition drive, over 40,000 people were displaced in
Makoko, Nigeria’s largest informal settlement. “Such
large-scale demolitions cause immense human suffering and
can constitute domicide, which is a crime against humanity
giving rise to individual criminal and civil liability under
international law,” they said.
Demolitions started
on 23 December 2025. Citing safety concerns, the Lagos State
government claimed it was removing structures within 30
meters of a high-tension powerline. Yet, demolitions
extended well beyond this zone, and affected homes, shops,
schools, churches and healthcare facilities.
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Residents
woke to the sound of excavators bulldozing homes as they
were set ablaze.
“Rendered homeless, thousands of
residents are now living in dangerous conditions,” the
experts said. “Families are finding refuge in makeshift
shelters or even in canoes, floating among the debris of
their former homes. They have nowhere to
go.”
“International engagement is urgently needed
to assist those displaced, prevent further demolitions, and
protect communities currently left in a protection vacuum.
Without immediate action, displaced families face heightened
risks of further forced displacement and serious human
rights violations,” they said.
When residents
protested, the police reportedly intervened with violence,
torching homes and firing tear gas. Some people, including
children, were reportedly killed and hospitalised with
injuries during the operation.
Amid escalating
tensions, on 3 February the State government ordered the
suspension of demolitions. They agreed to engage with UN
agencies to provide immediate assistance and durable
solutions for affected people. However, residents remain
fearful.
“This is not an isolated incident. It is
part of a disturbing pattern,” the experts said. The
community of Makoko itself had already suffered a major
demolition drive in 2012, when over
30,000 people lost their homes, and in
2017.
Evictions must be a last resort only if in-situ
improvements to structures are not possible, and be carried
out only after genuine consultation, and with adequate
notice and safeguards. The Guiding Principles
on Resettlement and Guiding
Principles on Internal Displacement make it clear that
if displacement cannot be avoided, affected people must be
resettled in conditions that ensure their right to adequate
housing, sustainable livelihoods and cultural cohesion.
Authorities must also provide fair and adequate compensation
for the lost homes and sources of income.
“We urge
the authorities to ensure that the suspension of demolitions
remains in place. The priority must now be to provide
immediate assistance to those displaced, and engage with
communities to develop durable solutions that place human
rights at the centre of urban development,” the experts
said.
The experts have been in contact with the
Government of Nigeria regarding these
issues.
*The
experts:
- Balakrishnan Rajagopal,
the
Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the
right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to
non-discrimination in this context - Paula
Gaviria, the
Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally
displaced
persons
