Lagos State House of Assembly, in collaboration with representatives of waterfront communities affected by recent demolitions, have expressed support for the state government’s proposed Water City development for the impacted areas.
This position was reached as part of a five-point resolution agreed upon during a stakeholders’ meeting held on Tuesday evening at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja.
The discussions involved leaders from Makoko, Sogunro and Oko Agbon waterfront communities.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Rules and Business and Majority Leader of the House, Mr Noheem Adams, explained that the Water City initiative is designed to serve the long-term interests of residents in the affected communities.
According to Adams, the state government will set up a 10-member committee drawn from the communities to carry out a self-enumeration of properties impacted by the demolitions.
He said the committee is expected to conclude the exercise within two weeks and submit its findings to the Adhoc Committee for further review.
He stressed the importance of openness and accuracy in the enumeration process, noting that information provided by the communities would be verified against existing government data.
Adams also directed stakeholders in Makoko to submit the names of their nominees for the committee to the House once constituted.
Reacting to the outcome of the meeting, the Baale of Sogunro Community, Chief Abraham Mesu, lauded the intervention of the Lagos State House of Assembly, describing it as timely and reassuring. He said the proposed Water City project has the potential to significantly enhance living conditions while ensuring that indigenous residents remain central to the redevelopment process.
Although he acknowledged the hardship caused by the demolitions, Mesu reaffirmed the community’s readiness to work with the state government to achieve a sustainable solution.
Similarly, the Baale of Makoko Waterfront, Chief Emmanuel Shemade, disclosed that community leaders had agreed to halt any rebuilding of demolished structures pending further directives. He expressed satisfaction with the assurances given at the meeting, particularly regarding plans to regenerate the area without forcing residents out of their ancestral communities.
Shemade also commended the state government’s commitment to provide an aerial survey image within one month, clearly outlining the extent of the demolished areas.
Earlier at the meeting, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Geographic Information Services, Dr Olajide Babatunde, said the Water City project forms part of a broader regeneration strategy for the waterfront settlements.
He noted that the initiative was informed by concerns over congestion and substandard living conditions, adding that provisions had been made to ensure affected residents receive appropriate compensation.
