The Lagos State House of Assembly has recommended that residents displaced by the demolition of waterfront settlements in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro be relocated to the Agbowa area of Epe.
The recommendation was disclosed in a statement released by the Assembly’s Public Affairs Directorate after lawmakers adopted a report presented by the House Committee on Rules and Business during plenary on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the resolution followed a petition submitted to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, titled “Urgent Appeal Regarding Ongoing Mass Forced Eviction and Illegal Demolition Threatening Tens of Thousands in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro Communities.”
While presenting the committee’s report during plenary at the Committee of the Whole, the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Noheem Adams, said the panel reached its findings after holding five meetings with petitioners and carrying out an oversight visit alongside government officials, relevant agencies and representatives of the affected communities.
The report noted that the demolition exercise conducted by the state government displaced a large number of residents, including elderly persons, women and children, while several homes and properties were destroyed.
According to the committee, most residents of the affected waterfront communities rely heavily on fishing as their primary means of livelihood and have historically lived close to the water because of the nature of their occupation.
Lawmakers also observed that living conditions in Makoko and neighbouring areas deteriorated significantly after the demolition, raising environmental and public health concerns as well as increasing safety risks.
Following its findings, the committee recommended that the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, instruct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to verify the enumeration report submitted by the Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon communities.
“The Committee further recommended that the government relocate the remaining residents of Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon to a proposed low-cost housing estate to be constructed in Agbowa area of the State, where they can continue their fishing activities,” the statement said.
The Special Adviser on Research, Media and Documentation to the Speaker, Adeshina Oyetayo, confirmed the development to journalists on Wednesday.
“What you got from the Public Affairs Directorate is the position of the Lagos State House of Assembly,” Oyetayo said.
The recommendation comes after a controversial demolition exercise carried out by the Lagos State Government between late December 2025 and early January 2026. The operation targeted what authorities described as “illicit structures” in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro waterfront communities located near the Third Mainland Bridge.
The demolitions displaced thousands of residents in the historic lagoon settlements, many of whom depend on fishing for their daily livelihood.
The action sparked protests from community members and several civil society organisations, which criticised the demolition as heavy-handed and called for clear plans regarding resettlement and compensation for those affected.
What you should know
Makoko and nearby waterfront communities in Lagos have long faced disputes with authorities over urban planning, environmental concerns and land ownership.
These communities are historically built on stilts over the Lagos Lagoon and are home to thousands of residents whose livelihoods depend largely on fishing and water-based trade.
Government efforts to remove what it describes as illegal structures have often led to tensions, protests and humanitarian concerns, especially when demolitions occur without widely accepted relocation or compensation plans for displaced residents.
