Lagos Assembly Urges Relocation of Makoko Evictees to Agbowa Housing Estate

The Lagos State House of Assembly has recommended that residents displaced by the demolition of waterfront communities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro be resettled in Agbowa, Epe, where a low-cost housing estate is proposed.

The resolution, adopted during plenary on Tuesday, followed a petition to Speaker Mudashiru Obasa titled “Urgent Appeal Regarding Ongoing Mass Forced Eviction and Illegal Demolition Threatening Tens of Thousands in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro Communities.” The petition highlighted the plight of thousands of residents who lost homes and livelihoods during the demolition exercise carried out by the state government between December 2025 and January 2026.

Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Noheem Adams, explained that lawmakers held five meetings with petitioners and conducted oversight visits with government agencies and community representatives before reaching their conclusions. The committee observed that the affected communities, historically dependent on fishing, had suffered deteriorating living conditions, environmental hazards, and health risks since the demolition.

The Assembly therefore urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to vet the enumeration report submitted by the communities, while also recommending relocation to Agbowa where residents could continue their fishing activities in a safer environment.

The demolition of Makoko and adjoining settlements near the Third Mainland Bridge has long been controversial. Civil society groups condemned the operation as heavy-handed, accusing the government of failing to provide adequate resettlement or compensation. Makoko, often described as Lagos’s “floating slum,” has been the subject of repeated clashes between urban renewal policies and the rights of its residents.

The Assembly’s latest intervention signals a possible shift toward more structured resettlement, though questions remain about funding, implementation, and whether displaced families will accept relocation far from their traditional lagoon homes.