Eviction as 'Progress': Nigeria's Neo-Colonial Urban Renewal
Same playbook, different decade: CASE A: Makoko's 'Slum Clearance' Today In 2026, the Lagos State Government initiated mass evictions in Makoko, displacing thousands. The official justification, echoed by various local media outlets, frames these actions as necessary for 'urban regeneration' and 'development.' A representative stated the demolitions were to 'ensure public safety and environmental
sustainability,' and to 'transform informal settlements into vibrant economic hubs.' Residents, however, describe the destruction of their homes as a tactic to seize desirable waterfront land for commercial projects, alleging a lack of adequate notice, compensation, or relocation plans (Al Jazeera, 2026). The demolition operations have been carried out with force, leaving families homeless and
disrupting livelihoods. CASE B: The 'Modernization' of Lagos in the 1950s Fast forward from the 1950s under British colonial rule, or rather, backward. During the colonial era, Lagos underwent similar 'slum clearance' projects. For instance, the Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB) orchestrated mass evictions in areas like Isale Eko and Central Lagos in the 1950s and early 1960s, justifying
them as necessary for 'modernization,' 'sanitation,' and 'economic improvement' (Home, 1997). The then-colonial administration and its successors systematically overlooked the rooted social structures and cultural heritage of these communities, often relocating residents to peripheral areas with inadequate infrastructure, creating new forms of marginalization. The language used then – 'clearing