Lagos Assembly moves to relocate Makoko residents to Epe

The Lagos State House of Assembly has recommended relocating residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Sogunro waterfront communities to Agbowa in Epe Local Government Area.

The proposal came after the assembly adopted a report from its standing committee on rules and business, which reviewed the demolition exercises carried out in the three communities.

In December 2025, the Lagos State Government began demolishing “illicit structures” near the Third Mainland Bridge, displacing many residents in the affected areas.

The affected communities protested the demolition exercise and petitioned Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the Lagos assembly.

The legislature had called for the suspension of the exercise while promising to investigate the matter.

Presenting the report during plenary, Noheem Adams, chairman of the committee, said the panel engaged the petitioners in five separate meetings and visited the communities with government officials and agencies.

Adams said the bulldozing resulted in the destruction of homes, property and displacement of residents.

The committee said the affected communities depend on fishing for survival and have been residing in the waterfront communities for decades.

The committee said since the flattening, the living conditions of residents have deteriorated.

The committee recommended that Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, direct the special adviser on E-GIS to vet the enumeration report submitted by the Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon communities.

It also recommended that the state government relocate the affected residents to a proposed low-cost housing estate, to be constructed in the Agbowa area of the state, where they can continue their fishing activities.

The committee also asked the state government to engage the Oloto of the Otto family in the construction of the water city project and recognise the family as original owners of the land.

In February 2026, the Lagos government announced plans to invest $10 million for the water city project aimed at modernising the fishing community.

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