The Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered an immediate halt to ongoing demolitions in Makoko and adjoining waterfront communities in Yaba Local Government Area, pledging compensation for residents whose properties have already been affected.
The directive followed a meeting on Tuesday between lawmakers and representatives of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja. The meeting was convened after the Assembly received a petition from residents protesting the demolition exercise.
Chairman of the ad hoc committee set up by the Speaker, Noheem Adams, announced the resolutions at the end of the deliberations. He said the House resolved that all ministries, departments, and agencies involved in the demolition exercise must suspend further actions until further notice.
Adams stated that the Assembly would ensure compensation for residents whose homes and properties had already been pulled down, stressing that community engagement must be central to any future intervention.
“All demolitions in Makoko and its waterfront communities should stop with immediate effect until further notice,” Adams said. “Any task force to be constituted must involve community representatives and engage them adequately. As your representatives, we assure you that the demolition will be stopped and that all those whose properties have been demolished will be compensated.”
Responding on behalf of the affected residents, the Baale of one of the communities, Isaac Gunmayon, commended the lawmakers for their intervention, describing the engagement as fair and reassuring.
“They invited us to explain what happened, and we discussed everything. The resolutions reached by the House reflect our wishes, and we are happy with the way they listened to us and gave us hope,” Gunmayon said.
The demolition exercise, which began in December 2025, has generated widespread controversy. Human rights groups, legal practitioners and community leaders have criticised the operation, arguing that it displaced vulnerable residents without adequate consultation or resettlement plans.
Despite the backlash, the Lagos State Government has maintained that the demolition was carried out in the overall interest of the waterfront communities.
The state government has also disclosed plans to commit about $10 million to the regeneration of Makoko, a move it says will improve living conditions and infrastructure in the area.