The Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre has called for compensation and reparations for women living in polluted communities across the Niger Delta region.
Niger Delta women affected by oil spills during a meeting in Port Harcourt to highlight the destruction of their livelihoods caused by pollution
The Executive Director, Dr Emem Okon, made the demand at a workshop in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, March 11, to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration.
Okon said that the workshop served as a sacred space for women to share their stories and process the collective trauma of environmental and social injustices.
“Here, wounds inflicted by years of neglect, economic marginalisation, and environmental violence are met with empathy and solidarity,” she said.
She said that the centre and its allied women organisations were unhappy at the dangers faced by women following their exposure to environmental pollution.
She expressed concern that despite repeated appeals to oil firms to address the suffering of women in pollution-affected communities, no positive response had been recorded
The executive director said that both the government and International Oil Companies had failed to take the issues of pollution in the Niger Delta seriously.
Okon stated that women were severely affected by activities of oil companies because of the health risks they were exposed to.
“The effect of oil extraction is not measured solely in terms of environmental degradation, the deep personal and communal wounds borne by women should be considered too.
“For decades, oil spill, gas flaring, and encroaching pollution have destroyed the natural resources that Niger Delta women depend on for survival.
“The rivers, which was once a vital source of water for daily needs, now carry toxic remnants of crude oil, poisoning farmlands and devastating aquatic lives.
“It is clear that our survival backbone and local sources of livelihood have been destroyed,” she said.
Okon further said that the centre had organised feminist convergence and trauma healing sessions which brought women together to share their experiences.
The executive director urged both the government and oil companies to take quick steps towards ending the longstanding suffering of women affected by oil pollution.
“Women need access to health and trauma services, stricter environmental protections, accountability and reparations.
“Niger Delta women require inclusion in the decision-making processes, especially in relation to oil extraction and support for transitioning to alternative livelihoods that do not depend on oil extraction,” Okon said.
The event featured presentations, poetry recitals, dance, drama, and storytelling, among others.
A research expert, Prof. Lateef Agbaje, says Nigeria has a competitive advantage to convert its agro-wastes for economic growth.
Agricultural waste
Agbaje, Head of Nanotechnology Research Group (NANO+), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, said this in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
According to him, Nigeria generates millions of tons of waste annually that could be utilised to produce valuable products.
He said that there was high deposit of wastes from cassava, groundnuts, cashew and rice which were often trashed, hence constituting environmental challenges and climate change.
Agbaje said that recently, the concept of zero-waste, supported by advancements in biotechnology and nanotechnology, had presented an innovative solution.
Agbaje also said that volarisation of agro-waste could create new industries, provide sustainable solutions to environmental problems, fight poverty and support the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We can produce bio-energies, bio-gas, bio-hydrogen, animal feed, citric acid and now in nanotechnology, you can valorise these materials.
“We are the world’s largest producer of ground nuts and we have lots of wastes from the shell, we have lots of waste from cashew.
“We can leverage all these agro-wastes to produce lots of products rather than allowing them litter our environment instead of contributing to climate change.
“These agro-wastes contain a lot of nutrients which can be utilised by microorganisms to produce animal feeds, fertilisers, generate energy,’’ he said.
He added that with Nigeria being a major regional player in rice production and having lots of wastes, they could be volarised and turned into a nanomaterias such as graphene, carbon nanotubes.
According to him, we can extract the chemicals, phytochemicals in the rice waste as catalysts for the production of other nanomaterials.
He said wastes from cashew which comprised a significant portion of the nut and shell, could be turned into citric acid, a valuable industrial chemical used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
“By converting this agro-waste into citric acid locally, Nigeria could reduce its dependency on imports, save foreign exchange, and create new industries in food and pharmaceutical production.’’
Agbaje further said that utilising agro-waste could impact the environment, provide additional income for farmers, among other benefits.
He said it could reduce the pollution associated with waste disposal, mitigate climate change by reducing emission from waste burning.
He stated that the bio-energy produced from agro-wastes could also replace traditional fossil fuels, thereby offering cleaner air and renewable energy source.
“By introducing farmers to new waste-to-product technologies, they can diversify their income sources and reduce their reliance on crop yields alone.
“This could contribute to poverty alleviation, especially in rural areas where agricultural activities dominate.
“This approach supports the achievement of Nigeria’s SDGs, particularly those related to poverty reduction, clean energy and sustainable agriculture,’’ he said.
Agbaje, however, said that inadequate infrastructure, lack of funding for research and development, inadequate policies that support innovation in waste management and renewable energy production were some impediments.
He said there was the need for effective government policies and incentives to encourage research and development in agro-waste volarisation technology.
The expert also said the country needed to venture into Public-Private Partnerships to scale up projects and investments in agro-waste industries, farmers education on benefits of agro-waste recycling and infrastructure development.
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) says it has gotten approval to establish a renewable asset management company that will sustain its interventions.
Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Abba Aliyu
The Managing Director of REA, Mr. Abba Aliyu, said this at the signing of a collaborative agreement with some Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs) in Abuja on Monday, March 10, 2025.
According to Aliyu, the company is expected to have mega assets, including infrastructure close to $500 million deployed to universities.
“This company will warehouse these assets, and REA will leverage on the assets to raise close to N1 trillion, so that we will continue to intervene even if there is no availability of loans and grants.
”The country will be standing on its own to continue to drive electricity access and infrastructure in many years to come.
“So, this is something that we have started, and we intend to make sure that it comes to reality before the end of the year,” he said.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu has approved N100 billion for REA to implement the National Public Sector Solarisation project.
He said the project was a Federal Government initiative to reduce cost of governance.
”The analysis that we have seen of budget implementation shows that a number of public institutions spend a lot of money to buy diesel or to pay for electricity.
””o reduce the cost of governance, REA secured the project which will start in the next few weeks,” he said.
Aliyu also said that the discussion with Japanese International Development Corporation to secure additional co-financing of $200 million had reached an advanced stage.
He said that the fund would be added to the $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy, making the total funding $950 million.
“Three weeks ago, we were in Japan with the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, and that discussion is almost concluded, and that funding will be available,” he said.
Speaking on the signing of the agreement, Aliyu said that the agency was committed to electrifying Nigerian homes through renewable energy projects.
‘What we are doing today by signing this agreement with RESCOs is to ensure Nigerians have access to electricity,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of other RESCOs, Mr. Ademola Ogunbanjo, the President, Oando Clean Energy, said that the company would be rolling the first 600 megawatts in 2026.
Ogunbanjo said that the company would supply renewable energy to not just Nigeria, but also the continent as a whole.
‘It will also be the first on the African continent solar modular assembly plant with a recycling line,” he said.
The agreement was signed between REA and eight Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs).
The companies are Ashipa Electric Limited, De-Janees Concept Ltd, Fax Power Ltd, M&BH Power Ltd, Okra Solar PTY Ltd, Oando Clean Energy, Sosai Renewable Energy Ltd and Weight Nigeria Ltd.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has signed an agreement to provide financing for low-cost housing in Cote d’Ivoire.
Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Robert Beugre Mambe
This is done by granting a loan of $27 million.
The financing agreement between the IFC and the Moroccan real estate group, Addoha, was signed on Monday, March 10, 2025, in Abidjan, the largest city of Cote d’Ivoire.
This happened in the presence of Prime Minister, Robert Beugre Mambe.
The loan is expected to enable the real estate group to accelerate implementation of its project, which aimed to build nearly 5,600 affordable housing units in Abidjan.
In June 2023, the government of the West African country and the IFC signed a consultancy programme to mobilise private sector investments for construction of quality social and economic housing.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the agreement is part of the Presidential Programme for the Construction of Social and Economic Housing.
“It will help consolidate the government’s efforts, which have already resulted in the completion of over 40,000 housing units since the programmes launch in 2012.
“Several construction sites have already been completed or are underway in the Abidjan metropolitan area, and the government aims to build 150,000 housing units by 2030.”
The 2024 State of the Nation Report indicates that life expectancy in Nigeria, though improving, remains below the global average at 54.6 years.
Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare
According to the report, made available on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Abuja, life expectancy for women is 54.9 years, while for men it is 54.3 years, reflecting ongoing health challenges.
Globally, life expectancy stands at 73.3 years for both genders, with women projected to live up to 76 years and men 70.7 years.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines life expectancy as “the average number of years that a newborn could expect to live if they were to pass through life exposed to the sex and age-specific death rates prevailing at the time of their birth, for a specific year, in a given country, territory, or geographical area.”
The State of the Nation report noted that the slight disparity between genders was consistent with global trends, where women generally live longer than men.
However, Nigeria’s life expectancy remained below the global average, underscoring the need for continued investment in healthcare and public health initiatives.
“Communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis contribute significantly to the disease burden, negatively impacting overall health outcomes and life expectancy,” the report noted.
Citing the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2023/2024), it highlighted that the fertility rate, at 4.8 children per woman, though gradually declining, remained among the highest in the world.
It said the rate was higher in rural areas (5.6) compared to urban areas (3.9), reflecting disparities in access to education and healthcare.
The report said urbanisation continued at a rapid pace, with 54 per cent of Nigerians now living in urban areas, driven by the search for better economic opportunities and access to essential services.
However, it said the shift had brought challenges, including infrastructure strain, pollution, and the growth of informal settlements, particularly in rapidly expanding cities like Abuja.
Economically, it said Nigeria had seen notable growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which reached N60.9 trillion with a growth rate of 3.19 per cent in 2024, up from 2.98 per cent in 2023.
In spite of this growth, it said the benefits remained unevenly distributed, with 63 per cent of Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty and facing challenges in health, education, and living standards.
It said gender and age disparities persisted, with women, particularly in rural areas, facing higher poverty levels, limited access to healthcare, and lower educational attainment compared to men.
The report also noted that the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 years was high, at 8.4 per cent, with young women being disproportionately affected.
“These socioeconomic disparities have far-reaching implications for health outcomes, as poverty and unemployment are closely linked to poor health and limited access to healthcare services,” the report emphasised.
The report, a publication of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s health status.
It draws from a wide range of sources to offer insights into public health, health policies, and social determinants of health.
It seeks to guide policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in their efforts to improve health outcomes for all Nigerians.
Some civil society organisations (CSOs) on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, said that tackling the menace of illegal mining required strong political will to hold perpetrators accountable.
Dr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development
The stakeholders, who said this in separate interviews in Abuja, noted that it was not enough to procure satellite gadgets to combat the menace, stressing the need for the government to be intentional in addressing the problem.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its third meeting of the year, approved the procurement a of N2.5 billion satellite gadget to combat illegal mining in the country.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, had explained that the technology was an integrated solution framework designed to address unlicenced, unregulated, and underreported mining activities.
Alake had also disclosed that the satellite gadget would be installed at a strategic location in the country, enabling the government to have a visual overview and real-time monitoring of ongoing mining operations.
He added that deploying the technology would help curb activities responsible for revenue leakages, illegal operations, and the unauthorised extraction and exploitation of the country’s mineral resources.
The Executive Director, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Philip Jakpor, urged the Federal Government to ensure careful selection of those responsible for handling information extracted from the satellite during surveillance.
According to him, in as much as we need technology and the initiative is good on the surface, he would still view it with caution.
”We should be very precise on what we need satellite technologies for and who manages such information we get from the satellite.
”We may need satellite technologies to pin point where natural resources are found and their depth in the earth and what’s going on there.
”But it is still people in government who manage information that will be obtained from the satellite that may be involved in protecting illegal mining operations.
“That’s why we hear that big people are behind the illegal mining activities but never get mentioned or even arrested.”
Jakpor added that while the technology was beneficial, political will was key to effectively combating illegal mining, and preventing a situation where some illegal operations are protected and others exposed.
Similarly, Dr Abdullahi Jabi, Chairman, North Central Zone, Campaign for Democracy, Human Rights Advocacy, and Civil Society of Nigeria, emphasised the need for stronger advocacy against illegal mining nationwide through increased media engagement.
Jabi noted that the move was crucial to raise public awareness about the consequences of illegal mining and to ensure strict penalties for offenders.
”By the time this is implemented (strict punishment for illegal miners), some of them will be afraid of going in to it. Application of technology is a good idea, but it is not going to achieve the desired result.
”This is because, they can sight the installation and location and destroy it, but if it is human influence, it will go very far with equipment particularly by the security agencies.
”So let’s see how far they can go with the technology application and whether it can achieve the desired results.
”I have my reservations that the best way is to get human influence and support the security agencies to do their work,” he said.
According to him, traditional rulers and community leaders should be held accountable for any illegal mining occurring in their domains.
He called for reforms to sanitise the sector, stressing that wealth creation through the informal sector of the economy could contribute to addressing the menace.
The House of Representatives has secured the commitment of seven major oil companies to pay the $37,435,094.52 (approximately ₦58 billion) owed the country before August.
The Nigerian House of Representatives in session
This is contained in a statement issued by the Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr., in Abuja on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Rotimi listed the affected companies as: Belema Oil, Panocean Oil Nigeria Ltd., Newcross Exploration and Production Ltd., Dubri Oil Company Ltd., Chorus Energy, Amni International and Network Exploration.
He said that the feat was achieved through the ongoing investigation by the Public Accounts Committee of the house.
“The commitment follows the committee’s scrutiny of financial records from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which flagged significant lapses in royalty payments and reconciliation processes across the sector.
“The pledged repayment forms part of a ₦9 trillion outstanding liability queried by the Auditor-General for the Federation in his 2021 report submitted to the National Assembly,” he said.
The spokesman said that the debts, some of which had accrued over a period of four years, highlighted long-standing revenue leakages in the oil and gas sector.
“Beyond these seven companies, the committee’s investigation has uncovered $1.7 billion (₦2.5 trillion) owed by 45 oil and gas companies in unpaid royalty payments as of December 31, 2024,” he said.
Rotimi also stated that nine companies, with a combined outstanding balance of $429.2 million, had contested the figures and requested a reconciliation process with NUPRC to verify their actual liabilities.
“These companies include: Aradel/Niger Delta, Chevron, STAR DEEP, Shore Line, Seplat Producing Unlimited, Esso Erha, Esso Usan, Eroton Exploration and Seplat Energy,” he said.
The lawmaker said that the committee had directed that the reconciliation process be concluded within two weeks, after which the affected companies must settle their confirmed debts without delay.
He, however, said that some companies failed to appear before the committee.
“A total of 28 companies, collectively owing $1,230,708,293.14, have failed to honour invitations by the committee or respond to public notices,” he said.
Rotimi said that the committee had given the affected companies the grace period of one week to submit all relevant documentation regarding their statutory obligations and appear before it.
He said that failure to comply within the new timeframe might result in firm legislative and regulatory sanctions to enforce accountability and ensure compliance.
The spokesman said that only two companies – Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production – were found to have fully met their royalty obligations.
He reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to ensuring that all oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria adhered to statutory payment obligations, in line with Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Rotimi said that the committee would continue to intensify its oversight to recover outstanding revenues and plug revenue leakages in the industry.
“The House of Representatives reiterates that companies benefiting from Nigeria’s natural resources must comply with financial obligations to support national development.
“The necessary legislative measures will be taken to enforce compliance and safeguard public revenue,” he said.
Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) has decried the nation’s decision to apply for the importation of “non-hazardous” waste from the European Union (EU).
Dr Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria)
This move, according to the research group, is “deeply troubling”, adding that the country already struggles with weak enforcement, lack of data arising from poor budgetary allocation, inadequate recycling infrastructure, and the absence of engineered sanitary landfills.
“With dumpsites overflowing and waste increasingly polluting water bodies, this decision could further aggravate public health and environmental challenges,” disclosed the organisation.
SRADev Nigeria says its latest finding reveals that Nigeria responded to receiving non-hazardous wastes amongst some non-OECD countries from the EU pursuant to Article 42 of Regulation 2024/1157 on shipments of waste from the EU after May 21, 2027. In this regard, Nigeria is ready to receive waste streams categorises as: Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), Paper Waste, Textile Waste, Rags and Fly Ash.
Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of SRADev Nigeria, frowned at the move, stating: “Nigeria is battling a huge solid waste crisis, yet we are now opening our doors to foreign waste like; fly-ash, textile & rags, and paper, under the guise of it being ‘non-hazardous.’ This is unacceptable and reflects poor governance, a lack of environmental foresight, and an outright disregard for public health. Our priority should be managing our existing waste, not acceding to importing more. If the waste is non-hazardous, then why do we trade in less developed countries of the world.”
Lack of Transparency and Risk of ‘Waste Colonialism’
Nigeria has yet to ratify the Bamako Convention (Africa’s own Convention) and the Basel Convention – BAN Amendment, which explicitly prohibits hazardous waste imports into and within Africa. The Bamako Convention has a stricter definition of hazardous waste than the Basel Convention where many of the EU waste fall in the scope of hazardous waste under Bamako Convention that prohibits importation of such waste into Africa. Nigeria without the capacity to properly classify imported waste, there is no guarantee that toxic or hazardous materials will not slip through under misleading classifications, said Adogame.
SRADev Nigeria is concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding this decision. Mr. Jeremiah Ato, Policy and Technical Officer at SRADev Nigeria, emphasised: “This is a clear case of Waste Colonialism, where wealthier nations offload their waste burden onto countries with weaker regulations. The Nigerian government as well as the EU must be fully transparent about this agreement and prioritize its citizens’ health and environmental well-being over external economic interests.”
Nigeria’s Reputation at Stake Ahead of BRS Regional Meeting
According to SRADev, this decision also puts Nigeria’s credibility at risk ahead of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Regional Meeting holding in Lusaka, Zambia, from March 18-20, 2025, where 54 African countries will discuss among other chemicals and waste issues affecting the region such as; waste trade controls, including Y-48 and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF).
Dr. Adogame further emphasised: “At a time when global discussions on waste trade controls are intensifying, Nigeria’s decision to import waste raises serious concerns. Y-48, which refers to plastic waste under Annex II of the Basel Convention, requires special regulatory consideration due to its environmental risks, particularly in countries like Nigeria that already struggle with plastic pollution.
“Similarly, RDF, while promoted as an alternative energy source, poses significant environmental concerns due to emissions, ash residues, and the potential presence of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). If Nigeria is currently grappled with existing waste, how can we guarantee the proper handling of imported waste like RDFs?”
Violation of Nigeria’s Climate Commitments
SRADev believes that the decision directly contradicts Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets for the waste sector, which emphasise reducing emissions through improved waste management and circular economy practices.
“By agreeing to import waste, Nigeria risks increasing its carbon footprint, undermining its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, and deviating from its national waste reduction strategies,” disclosed Adogame.
Call for a National Stakeholders Intervention Meeting
SRADev Nigeria is calling for an urgent review of the decision by the National Chemicals Management Committee (NCMC), acting as the clearing house on issues of chemicals and waste, to examine the implications and ensure transparency. This forum which already exist involve key government agencies, civil society organisations, environmental experts, industry stakeholders, and the media to help align Nigeria’s policies with its commitments under the Basel Convention and its amendments.
Adogame called on “the EU to act responsibly by ensuring that its waste export policies (according to article 41 of the regulation 2024/1157) do not place an undue burden on developing nations. The health and environmental well-being of over 200 million Nigerians should take precedence over economic or trade considerations. Therefore, the EU has a duty to make decisions that align with global sustainability goals and uphold environmental justice.”
He added: “Nigeria must take a decisive stand against hazardous and unchecked waste trade to safeguard its environmental future and protect its citizens from worsening waste management challenges.”
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, March 10, 2025, launched the Certified Accreditors’ Programme (CAP), a key initiative aimed at strengthening building safety and compliance.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
At the launch in Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu emphasised the programme’s significance in preventing building collapses, drawing attention to the tragic 2021 Ikoyi building collapse that prompted the reform.
“Today, we mark a pivotal moment in our journey toward a safer and more prosperous Lagos State,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said that the CAP, developed by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), was a direct response to recommendations from a panel established to investigate the Ikoyi incident.
The focus, he said, was on strengthening collaboration between the government and private sector professionals in the built environment.
The governor highlighted the programme’s role in enhancing socio-economic well-being of the state.
He outlined the programme’s benefits, including ensuring building safety, attracting investments, enhancing urban aesthetics, and promoting sustainable development.
He said that a robust regulatory framework would instil confidence in developers and drive economic growth.
“By effectively reducing the risk of building collapses, we not only protect lives and property but also foster a sense of security that is vital for any thriving community,” he said.
The governor urged all stakeholders, including property developers, homeowners, architects and engineers, to collaborate in upholding the highest standards of integrity and compliance to building regulations.
He also called on members of the public to report substandard constructions and unauthorised developments to relevant authorities.
“I charge all accredited firms to carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism.
“You are now integral players in our mission to make Lagos State a model for sustainable urban development in Africa,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He reiterated the state’s commitment to building a safer, more organised and sustainable Lagos, emphasising that it was a responsibility owed present and future generations.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on E-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Olajide Babatunde, said that the programme went through a rigorous process to ensure that only qualified companies would be involved.
He said: “A total of 250 expression of interest forms were obtained, and 150 companies have been shortlisted.
“As a matter of fact, we are still going to have super CAP agents who will be checking what we are doing so that we know that we are not alone.”
He said there were two groups – individual professionals and consulting corporate firms.
The individual professionals, he said, consisted of a minimum of five qualified professionals in relevant fields including architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering and town planning.
The corporate firms, he said, consisted of a minimum of two registered companies in the construction and built industry.
Earlier, the General Manager of LASBCA, Mr. Gbolahan Oki, said that CAP would significantly improve LASBCA’s ability to fulfill its mission of ensuring building safety.
He said it would foster better cooperation among the agency, private sector professionals and developers.
Oki said: “I am therefore convinced that the launch of CAP today will help our agency to serve the people more effectively, while it will also enhance collaboration, innovation and excellence in building practices.”
He appealed to building owners and developers to cooperate with the certified accreditors during inspections to help to prevent building collapse.
He warned that defaulters would face consequences.
Organised residents of informal settlements and members of civil society have condemned the mass forced eviction of the people of Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora communities on the Lagos Mainland, claiming that the eviction was carried out in violation of subsisting court orders.
A victim of forced eviction at Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora communities in Lagos
While lamenting that the eviction also violated years of positive engagement and promises of partnership to regenerate the area for the people, the activists warned that the development portends a total breakdown of any trust in the government around land governance and urban development to the detriment of the nation.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) entered into Ilaje Otumara and neighbouring Baba Ijora communities in Lagos Mainland and reportedly marked hundreds of homes and business for imminent “removal” within a period of two days. That same day, residents protested to the Lagos Mainland Local Government where the Chairwoman reportedly pledged support for the community.
On February 12, 2025, residents mobilised to Alausa for a peaceful demonstration, appealing to the Governor of Lagos State and the House of Assembly to look into and stop the threatened eviction. The same day, residents went round to deliver letters to all the ministries and agencies responsible for urban development – and ended up over the next two weeks meeting severally with the General Manager of LASBCA.
When LASBCA doubled down on its threat, further meetings were held with the General Manager of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and, finally, the Special Advisor to the Lagos State Governor on Urban Development, who assured the community that they would not be evicted and pledged to instead continue partnership for regeneration.
However, on Friday, March 7, 2025, with no prior warning, LASBCA officials, police, and “area boys” armed with machetes descended on the two communities with a Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) “Black Maria” mobile detention vehicle and up to five excavators, allegedly beating residents and demolishing the entirety of both communities from various directions, paying no heed to whether a building had previously been marked or not.
Journalists from two international media houses were reportedly blocked from entering the area to cover the eviction and one of the journalists was allegedly beaten. The eviction continued from March 8 to 9, 2025, destroying nearly the entirety of both communities, allowing widespread vandalism and looting, and leaving thousands of residents displaced and sleeping outside.
“We condemn the ongoing forced eviction in no uncertain terms; and we call on the Lagos State Government and the Federal Government that stands behind it to heed this warning and reverse the dangerous trend – starting with an immediate halt of the forced eviction of Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora, provision of immediate relief for evictees, and the total rebuilding of these communities for the benefit of evictees,” the campaigners said in a statement endorsed by groups like Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI); Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation; Lagos Urban Development Initiative (LUDI); Centre for Children’s Health, Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE); Global Rights; and Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria.
They added: “This forced eviction is as heartless as any – taking place in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan, during Lent, among celebrations of International Women’s Day, and during the worst economic crisis Nigeria has seen in decades – and its impacts on residents will be as in all the uncountable forced evictions that have taken place across Lagos and Nigeria from the recent to the distant past.
“Ordinary citizens are left without shelter to guard their belongings and their bodies against looting, sexual assault, weather and mosquitos. Without any preparation, it takes days, weeks, months or even years to find new stable accommodation. Once landlords are turned to tenants and squatters. The owners of profitable businesses are forced to hawk on the streets.
“Families are separated, forced to send their children in different places while the parents seek work where they can. Children have no means to continue their schooling, worsening Nigeria’s status as having the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. Mental and physical health suffers.”
According to the CSOs, Ilaje Otumara was one of dozens of waterfront communities that joined together in 2016 to demonstrate and eventually bring action against the Lagos State Government under the administration of Akinwumi Ambode – which resulted in a precedent judgment from the Lagos State High Court that forced evictions such as were carried out in Otodo Gbame from 2016 to 17 violate the right to dignity enshrined in Section 34 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
“The permanent injunction against displacement without prior consultation and resettlement that also came out of this case protects Ilaje Otumara and other waterfront informal settlements to today,” they stated.
They continued: “While Lagos has certainly not been free of demolitions and forced evictions during the intervening years, a new approach to positive engagement between communities like Ilaje Otumara and agencies like LASURA also began to emerge in 2017 and carried forward through successive administrations including the first administration of the current Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“Pilot projects to demonstrate how better urban development could be practiced in Lagos have been discussed from the Kosofe Model City Plan to a Future Cities-supported regeneration plan developed for the Otto area of Lagos Mainland; and several generations of leadership of LASURA and its parent Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development have tried out a different tone and approach in engaging some communities.
“Indeed, since mid-2021, Ilaje Otumara has been positively engaging with LASURA around a planned partnership with the community to carry out regeneration in which residents were meant to be part and parcel. In late 2021, the community set up a regeneration committee to engage with LASURA and potential developers; in mid-2022, the community conducted its own census, numbering 2,808 households with a population of at least 12,313 residents; in March 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu campaigned to Otumara based on the promise that this project would continue; and just after the election, the community conducted an opinion survey to identify the upgrading priorities of residents and feed into an expected participatory planning process.
“Since mid-2023, however, the reverse course on this positive progress has become increasing evident – starting with the forced eviction of Oworonshoki communities that had been included in the initial planning for the Kosofe Model City Plan, and continuing with the demolition of Orisunmibare in Apapa in February 2024, Otto communities in March 2024, and Oko Baba and parts of Aiyetoro communities in September 2024.
“Like the current forced eviction of Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora, these forced evictions evidence the recapturing of the machinery of government by an oligarchy of powerful land-owning families and corrupt private developers around the State. Much worse, the current forced eviction at Ilaje Otumara signals a return to a time we remember all too well when ordinary citizens under threat of eviction could not count on the word of the Lagos State Government but must rather assume that Government assurances mean nothing when powerful interests have targeted their homes to become vacant sellable land.”
