Described as the world’s largest floating slum,  one settlement is known as the “Venice of Africa”. In Makoko, tens of thousands of people – and many more according to some estimates – live in wooden shacks raised on stilts above polluted water. Now, besides facing dire conditions and poverty, many are having their homes demolished by the Nigerian government. 

The community, sitting on the edge of Lagos Lagoon, iis wedged between mainland Nigeria and one of Africa’s richest cities. It began in the late 19th century as a fishing village, keeping its function until today. It was founded by the Egun people, whose livelihoods were tied to the lagoon long before Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, became a megacity.

When Lagos expanded through the 20th century, as it often happens with big cities, Makoko absorbed migrants priced out of formal housing. The settlement kept growing without planning permission. There were no land titles or access to basic services, placing the community in constant conflict with city authorities.

Today, much of the daily life in Makoko is shaped by water. As a result, it supplies fish, timber and labour to Lagos. But conditions here are dire, as the slum remains excluded from urban planning.

There is no sewage system, no waste collection and limited access to clean drinking water. Most homes have no electricity, and fires spread quickly through tightly packed wooden structures. Waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea have been a common issue throughout the years. 

“This suffering is too much,” Iyabo Olaleye, a fishmonger who lost two houses, told AFP. “The rain drenched my children, and I have nowhere to go.”

Makoko residents have also repeatedly faced the demolition of their homes. At least 10,000 people have reportedly lost their homes during a demolition process that began in late December and was ongoing on Friday, The New York Times reported. Makoko community leaders and humanitarian groups said at least four people had died during the demolitions, including two infants and a 70-year-old woman.

A spokesman for the Lagos State government declined to comment on the reports of deaths, citing the government’s position that the demolition was necessary for safety – to move residents away from a nearby power line that could someday fall – and for urban planning.

Several residents recently staged protests at the State House of Assembly in Lagos, where officials pledged on two separate days to pause the demolitions. Yet, excavators have kept at it.

The Makoko community has long drawn sympathy but is seen as an eyesore by the government and it faced similar demolitions in 2005 and 2012. In the latter instance, a community leader died when a government demolition team destroyed hundreds of houses.