Lagos Budgets N13.4bn For Slums, Spends Only N36m

The Lagos State government spent only N36.08m on slum regeneration in the first half of 2026, representing 0.3 per cent of the N13.04bn allocated to the project in the 2026 budget.

This was amid allegations of mass forced evictions and demolitions in low-income communities across the state.

The expenditure, captured in the Lagos State Budget Implementation Report for the second quarter of 2026, was recorded under the Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority’s project for slum regeneration across the state.

Reviewed by THE WHISTLER, the report showed that the authority recorded no expenditure on the project in the second quarter, while its cumulative spending for the first and second quarters stood at N36.08m, leaving N13bn unspent against the original budget.

The low budget performance comes amid allegations by Amnesty International that the state government has carried out violent forced evictions in Makoko, Oworonshoki and Mile 12, displacing thousands of residents and destroying homes, schools, healthcare facilities and other community infrastructure.

In a report based on research conducted between October 12 and 16, 2026, Amnesty International alleged that more than 50,000 people were displaced in Makoko alone between December 2025 and January 2026, while about 5,000 homes were destroyed in the latest round of demolitions in Makoko, Oworonshoki and Mile 12.

The organisation also alleged that the demolitions destroyed 42 schools and 20 healthcare clinics, alongside places of worship, while residents reported at least 12 deaths linked to the operations.

In Oworonshoki, residents reportedly linked more than 30 deaths to trauma, medical neglect and exposure following demolitions in the Mosafejo and Idiaraba communities.

Amnesty further reported that more than 30 private schools, over 25 churches and 10 mosques were destroyed in the affected communities.

The organisation’s Director in Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, accused the Lagos State Government of disregarding due process and failing to protect residents from forced displacement.

Sanusi said some families had their homes demolished while they were still asleep, adding that the reported deaths underscored the need for the government to be held accountable.

He also alleged that some demolition operations involved the use of tear gas, physical assaults and arrests of residents protesting the destruction of their homes.

“Since March 2016, Lagos State has been carrying out forced evictions that are clearly aimed at excluding people living in poverty in the process of building what is called a mega Lagos. These are carried out without consultation, adequate notice, or alternative housing,” Sanusi said.

“What we have seen at Makoko and Oworonshoki during this investigation is a shocking disregard for due process. In some cases, families had bulldozers demolishing their homes while they were still asleep. Deaths from trauma because of these evictions are evidence enough that the Lagos State government must be held accountable.”

According to Amnesty, residents had initially been informed that demolitions would be restricted to buildings beneath high-tension electricity lines, but the operations extended beyond the areas they expected to be affected.

The organisation also said residents had obtained a Federal High Court judgment in July 2025 restraining the Lagos State Government from demolishing the community, but the demolitions subsequently proceeded.

Amnesty called on the state government to investigate the evictions and ensure that affected families receive adequate shelter, compensation where required and access to essential services.

Meanwhile, the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Landgrabbing and Displacement in Lagos State said Sogunro, alongside neighbouring Makoko and Oko Agbon, experienced mass forced evictions between December 2025 and mid-January 2026.

The coalition estimated that about 30,000 residents were displaced during the exercise, which was halted following large-scale protests and public outcry.

It said residents had since remained in the community and begun rebuilding their homes while awaiting further information on a proposed United Nations-supported Makoko Water Cities project, expected to be implemented in partnership with the affected communities.

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