Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has accused certain local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of exploiting the ongoing demolition exercise in Makoko for personal financial gain.
Addressing journalists, the governor said the state government is closely monitoring the activities of these organisations and will provide evidence to support the claims.
“We are aware that some local and international NGOs are seeking to profit from this. We’re studying the situation, and we will present proof,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He alleged that some groups had received substantial funding from international donors under the pretext of supporting affected communities but failed to deliver on their promises.
“They have secured funds and grants from abroad, yet much of it has been used to cover their own misrepresentations and the fact that they have not done what they claimed they would,” the governor stated.
Sanwo-Olu suggested that this alleged profiteering partly explains the intense criticism of the state government’s actions. “That’s why they are shouting and complaining louder than the bereaved. We are here to face them and show why these measures are necessary,” he said.
The governor defended the demolition exercise, insisting it was undertaken to protect public safety, especially due to illegal structures erected directly under high-tension power lines.
“What interest would the government have in unnecessarily demolishing anyone’s property if it were not to safeguard the citizens?” he asked.
He further noted that many residents had built shanties directly beneath high-voltage cables, creating significant risks.
“A lot of these structures are right under the high-tension wires. We cannot allow lawlessness in the state,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Warning of potential disasters, he added, “We cannot fold our arms and let calamity strike.”
The Lagos State Government had, in September 2025, announced plans to remove illegal structures under high-tension cables in Makoko, a community in Yaba comprising both land-based and waterfront settlements along the Lagos Lagoon.
