The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has accused some local and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) of taking advantage of the demolition exercise in the Makoko area of the state.
The governor said these NGOs have made a lot of money from foreign donors, requesting grants and wealth into those places.
This was made known by Governor Sanwo-Olu, while speaking to journalists after signing the N4.4 trillion appropriation bill into law on Monday, January 19, 2025.
Sanwo-Olu, who defended the demolition of structures in that axis, said the state government is studying the situation and will provide evidence.
What Governor Sanwo-Olu is saying
Sanwo-Olu insisted that the affected NGOs are doing all these to cover their own lies, noting that they have failed to do what they had promised to do.
The governor said, “We are aware that there are some local and international NGOs that want to profit from this. We’re studying, and we’re going to show you evidence.
“They’ve made so much money from international donors. And that they’ve asked for so many grants and wealth into those places, and it’s just for them to cover their own lies and the fact that they’ve not done what they said they were going to be doing.
“That’s why they’re all shouting and crying more than the bereaved. And we’re here to face them and to let them see the reasons why we have to do what we’re doing.’’
“There have been several, you know, issues and stories here and there on what we’re doing. They mention that we’re doing Makoko and the rest of it,” he added.
Safety of citizens
He said the state government took the decision “for the overall safety of the citizens”, adding that many of the inhabitants erected buildings under high-tension cable.
“Of what interest will it be for the government to want to unduly demolish anybody’s what, what interest if it is not for the overall safety of the citizens that we’re talking about.
“A lot of these people have built the shanties right under the high-tension wires.
“And so we cannot be a lawless state of people. Something has to give at some point because we cannot fold our arms and let calamity or disaster happen,” Sanwo-Olu added.
What you should know
The Lagos State Government had, in September 2025, announced plans to demolish shanties built directly under high-tension power lines in Makoko, Yaba, citing urgent safety concerns for residents of the densely populated waterfront community.
The move follows recent demolitions at the Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge, where the state removed dilapidated and unsafe structures.
The government explained that it needed to act to prevent potential disasters, stressing that lives would be at risk if power cables failed. It added that investigations linked some traffic robberies on the Third Mainland Bridge to people living in the shanties who used the area as cover
The Makoko area is divided between land-based and waterfront areas, which comprise rows of shanties built on the Lagos lagoon, one of the world’s largest cities, with an estimated population of over 15 million.
According to a Lagos-based governance advocacy group, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the recent demolitions, which started in December and are ongoing, have affected more than 3,000 dwellings and displaced more than 10,000 people.
