Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has accused some local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of exploiting the Makoko community for financial gain, insisting their opposition to recent demolitions is driven by profit rather than genuine concern for residents.
Speaking recently, during the signing of the 2026 Appropriation Bill into law at Lagos House, Ikeja, the governor pushed back against mounting criticism over the ongoing clearance of structures in the waterfront settlement.
Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State Government has no interest in arbitrarily demolishing homes, stressing that the exercise is solely about public safety and the protection of critical infrastructure.
“Of what interest will it be to the government to unduly demolish anybody’s house, if it’s not for the overall safety of the citizens we are talking about?” he asked.
According to the governor, many of the affected structures were erected directly beneath high-tension power lines and dangerously close to the Third Mainland Bridge, in clear violation of safety regulations that have been ignored for years.
He explained that the law mandates a safety clearance of between 150 and 250 metres from high-tension electricity lines, warning that buildings within such zones pose serious risks, including electrocution and structural collapse.
“They built shanties right under the high-tension wire. The regulation is clear. We are not demolishing the whole of Makoko. We are clearing people so they do not get close to the Third Mainland Bridge and to keep them off the high-tension wire,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor dismissed claims that the state government plans to wipe out Makoko entirely, describing such reports as false and deliberately misleading.
He went further to accuse some NGOs of inflating the crisis to attract international funding, alleging that they have received substantial grants in Makoko’s name without delivering meaningful interventions.
“We are aware that there are some local and international NGOs that want to profit from this,” he said. “They make so much money from international donors. They have collected so many grants in the name of Makoko, and it is just to cover their lies and the fact that they have not done what they said they were going to do.”
Sanwo-Olu claimed the state has been monitoring these organisations for over two years and has gathered evidence, including videos and documented communications, to support its allegations.
Describing the reactions from some groups as excessive and self-serving, he said they were “crying more than the bereaved,” adding that the government would stand its ground.
The governor insisted that protecting lives remains the government’s primary responsibility and vowed to continue acting in the interest of public safety, regardless of criticism. He also promised that evidence of alleged NGO misconduct would be made public.
