Samuel Omang
The air was thick with dust and tension on Thursday as bulldozers tore into rows of illegal structures at the sprawling Trade Fair Complex in Ojo. The Lagos State Government said the demolitions marked a decisive step in its aggressive urban renewal campaign aimed at restoring order to Nigeria’s most crowded megacity.
From dawn, heavy machinery rumbled through the complex, flattening buildings erected without approvals, those blocking drainage channels, and others deemed unsafe. Traders and shop owners gathered in anxious clusters, some filming the moment on their phones, others quietly mourning the loss of investments that had taken years to build.
Officials said the demolition was not arbitrary. A joint task force comprising the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Urban Renewal Agency, and security operatives coordinated the operation, emphasizing that Lagos could no longer tolerate the dangers posed by illegal developments.
Midway through the exercise, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, explained that the operation was a crucial statement of intent. “This is not just demolition; this is Lagos showing the world it is serious about urban renewal and sustainable growth,” he declared.
But on the other side of the barricades, many traders told a different story. Some wept openly, saying they were caught off guard and left without alternatives. “We were not given enough time,” one shop owner lamented, while another insisted the demolition was a harsh blow to small businesses already struggling with inflation. Others admitted they had ignored repeated warnings and failed to take advantage of the amnesty programme that allowed irregular buildings to be regularized before enforcement began.
For Lagos, however, the mission is survival. In a city of more than 20 million people, illegal buildings have worsened flooding, choked road networks, and endangered lives. Officials argue that without drastic measures, urban chaos will only deepen.
As the dust settled at the Trade Fair Complex, one fact remained undeniable: Lagos’s push for urban renewal is reshaping the city’s landscape. Yet, while the government frames it as a fight for safety and order, many displaced traders see it as a painful blow to their livelihoods. Between progress and survival, the debate over what true renewal means in Lagos continues.