Sanwo-Olu accuses NGOs of profiteering from Makoko demolition

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has accused some local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of exploiting the demolition exercise in the Makoko area of the state for financial gain.

The governor made the allegation while addressing journalists, saying the state government was monitoring the activities of such organisations and would present evidence to support its claims.

“We are aware that there are some local and international NGOs that want to profit from this. We’re studying, and we’re going to show you evidence,” Sanwo-Olu said.

According to him, the groups had secured substantial funding from international donors under the guise of supporting affected communities, without delivering on their commitments.

“They’ve made so much money from international people. And they’ve asked for so many grants and wealth into those places, and it’s just for them to cover their own lies and the fact that they’ve not done what they said they were going to be doing,” the governor stated.

Sanwo-Olu said the alleged profiteering explained what he described as excessive criticism of the state government’s actions.

“That’s why they’re all shouting and crying more than the bereaved. And we’re here to face them and to let them see the reasons why we have to do what we’re doing,” he added.

The governor defended the demolition exercise, insisting it was carried out in the interest of public safety, particularly due to the presence of illegal structures erected under high-tension power lines.

“Of what interest will it be for the government to want to unduly demolish anybody’s property if it is not for the overall safety of the citizens that we’re talking about?” he asked.

Sanwo-Olu said many residents had constructed shanties directly beneath high-tension cables, posing serious risks.

“A lot of these people have built the shanties right under the high-tension wires. And so we cannot be a lawless state of people,” he said.

He warned that inaction could result in disaster, adding, “We cannot fold our arms and let calamity or disaster happen.”

In September 2025, the Lagos State Government announced plans to remove illegal structures built under high-tension cables in the Makoko community in Yaba. Makoko consists of both land-based and waterfront settlements, with hundreds of shanties built along the Lagos Lagoon.

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