STARS ON GROUND

Gentrification In Lagos .

The view from up here is breathtaking

Outside my aeroplane’s window is the city of Lagos - one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Seeing Lagos at night from the air is surreal - the lighted areas are interwoven with the darkness and they sort of remind me of stars on the ground. 

Of the tens of billions of trillions of stars in the universe, only a tiny percentage are visible to the naked eye? And just like the stars, the luminous areas represent a minuscule of the total houses in Lagos.

It’s a metaphor

The lights and lack thereof represent the social statuses in the city - the rich and the poor, the urban and the rural, high-rise buildings and shabby houses. It is also symbolic of the nationwide power failure caused by the country's failing national grid that leaves many in cities like Lagos generating electricity using fuel generators. 

And while the illuminated areas are beautiful, I cannot help thinking about life in the poor urban neighbourhoods in Lagos. Between trying to make ends meet, and coming home late at night, trying to get restful sleep; waking up to the sound of bulldozers tearing down your house must not be very pleasant. 

The megacity of slums

Despite the many state-of-the-art architectures and tourist centres, some have termed Lagos, the megacity of slums. According to a report by the Human Rights Watch and Justice and Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), more than 20 million residents of Lagos State live in slums and informal settlements due to high levels of urban poverty. 

Urban poverty is a common epidemic in developing countries but it also plagues developed countries. The urban poor usually experiences poor quality overcrowded housing, risk of forceful eviction, lack of access to housing mortgage schemes and criminalisation of their informal small businesses and livelihoods in city centres. 

In our megacity of slums, the urban poor live in informal settlements like Makoko, Ajegunle, Amukoko, Badia, Agege, Ajah, and Itire built on stilts and lagoons, with many of these areas marked by the World Bank for gentrification. 

What exactly is gentrification? 

Gentrification often happens when there is an influx of wealthy residents and businesses. Factors force the cost of inner-city housing to fall to the point where outsiders want to buy it and convert it to a higher-value use. With inadequate infrastructural amenities in these slum areas, gentrification isn't farfetched.

However, gentrification goes beyond aesthetics. Gentrification increases local fiscal revenue and reduces the continuing spiral of decline in an area. But it's a cause for concern when the adverse effects are inadequately analysed. It leads to the displacement of people and, in some cases, homelessness; an increase in rent prices; an absence of affordable housing and housing pressure on surrounding areas when the displaced seek shelter. With an already broken housing system, how can the poor and now homeless find affordable housing?

Gentrification in Lagos

Findings have shown a high rate of gentrification in Lagos, mainly in the informal settlements, slums and waterfront areas. Unfortunately, this demolition and redevelopment render thousands of families homeless. And those that cannot afford modern apartments are shortchanged. Take Mr Ajimadu, for example - a victim of two evictions. According to Premium Times Nigeria, Mr Ajiamdu lived in Marako with his family before their eviction and Marako’s demolishment. He then moved to Makoko, but the settlement again faced demolition without due notice. 

Akinwunmi Ambode, the former governor of Lagos State, oversaw new redevelopment projects. His plans to improve infrastructure and redevelop parts of the city left 35,000 homeless and 4,700 people with homes demolished at midnight with no notice to gather their belongings. 

Ambode’s plan severely affected the urban poor. In my opinion, there was no place for them in his vision for a new Lagos. Gentrification itself was not the reason for the failure of his redevelopment plan but the disregard and lack of provision for the displaced citizens. 

A gentrified city at what cost?

Over the years, Lagos has witnessed swift and phenomenal gentrification in some designated municipal residential areas. However, due to the increased poverty rate in Nigeria, the masses cannot afford urbanised settlements, nor can they afford building upgrades. Although gentrification has significantly impacted the environment and the standard of living in Lagos, at what cost? 

There are cases where human rights lawyers, NGOs, and CSOs have defended the urban poor against the government in courts. For example, CSO, 'Enough is Enough' condemned the demolition of houses in Ogba area of Lagos during the corona virus lockdown. But cases like this are only a temporary solution as many like Mr Ajimadu still live in fear of demolition and eviction. Our goal is to create awareness of these issues and provide relatively permanent solutions to them. 

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