The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa

Lagos, Nigeria, is undergoing rapid transformation as it evolves into a global megacity, yet this development frequently comes at a brutal human cost. While the government pursues luxury real estate projects to attract wealth, these initiatives often involve the violent displacement of long-standing, vulnerable waterfront communities. NPR Africa correspondent Emmanuel Akinwotu reports that settlements like Makoko and Ilaje Otumara face systematic destruction, with residents losing their homes and livelihoods despite existing legal protections. These evictions are often characterized by extreme violence, including the use of police force and armed groups, leading to significant casualties and widespread homelessness. Although the government justifies these actions as necessary for public safety and urban modernization, the reality for the city's essential workforce—drivers, cleaners, and laborers—is one of increasing precarity and exclusion from the very progress intended to define the city's future.