Documentary filmmaker and visual artist Olayinka Babalola has said the ongoing demolition and displacement of residents in Makoko, Lagos, goes far beyond the official narrative of safety and power-line clearance, warning that an entire culture, economy and way of life is being wiped out without humane alternatives.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News’ Arise360 on Tuesday, Babalola said her latest documentary captures the lived reality of Makoko residents through the life of a community leader, challenging widespread misconceptions about the waterfront settlement.
“I feel that the film takes a different approach to what’s happening in Makoko than the typical narrative of ‘they’re just destroying this place and it’s about the power lines’,” she said. “It shows the life that they lived there. It shows what day-to-day life is like, how they make their money, what they were told by the government, how there are different characters in the documentary and how they advocated for the community.”
Babalola stressed that Makoko is often reduced to a caricature of poverty, when in reality it functions as a complex, self-sustaining community.
“From the perspective of the average Lagosian, people look at it as a slum — the dirty water, the canoes, stuff floating inside there,” she said. “But when I first started going into the community, what struck me was how different it was from the narrative I had been sold.”
“These guys are essentially an economic powerhouse. A lot of trade happens there. Makoko is almost like a fishing village. They go out, they fish, they bring back food and they are pumping money into the economy.”
“They have their own culture. They have their own language. They have their own schools. They have their own economy right there in the city. It’s almost like a self-sufficient system.”
According to her, residents were misled about the scope of the demolitions.
“They told them they were going to clear a certain amount for safety reasons,” she said. “They negotiated a certain distance from the power lines, including with community leaders. Only for much more to be destroyed — homes demolished far beyond what was agreed.”
Babalola said the urgency of releasing the documentary was driven by the scale of the displacement now unfolding.
“This has been a long-standing fight,” she said. “If they are going to clear it out, it needs to be done in a very humane way. They need to be given alternatives. New houses. New sources of income.”
“You’re not just taking away their homes — you’re taking away their livelihoods. Now they cannot fish. How are they going to make money?”
She described the situation as a clear case of gentrification.
“Gentrification is basically what is happening in Makoko,” she said. “You displace people in the name of development, wipe away indigenous cultures and livelihoods, and you don’t provide alternatives.”
“Then it becomes everybody’s problem.”
Babalola said her own personal experience of displacement deepened her emotional connection to the story.
“While making this documentary last year, we were also kicked out of a house we had lived in for about seven years in Abuja,” she said. “We paid rent, everything. One day, they just came and kicked everybody out of the compound while the case was still in court.”
“It made me realise that this can happen to anyone, regardless of your social class.”
She added: “Yes, it’s happening to people of a certain socio-economic class in Makoko, but it is not localised to them. This is something that can happen to literally anyone.”
Providing an update from the community, Babalola said she remains in contact with the bale — the traditional leader featured in the documentary.
“I spoke to the bale yesterday,” she said. “According to him, they didn’t demolish yesterday, but they’ve gotten very close to his house. He said they’re about 10 houses away now.”
“He also told me that today, they planned on burning the places that have already been broken down. I can’t confirm it myself, but that’s what I’ve been told.”
She also referenced community advocate Caleb Dugtsugan, founder of Fremosi, who she said has a clearer picture of the severity of the situation.
“According to him, people are saying they are going to wipe out the entire community this time,” she said.
Beyond the documentary, Babalola said she remains committed to empowering young creatives through film education.
“I teach about 10 to 15 kids in my local church,” she said. “We teach them film and photography. We’ve gone from them never holding a camera to making their first short film.”
“For me, it’s economic empowerment. Film is a great source of income. You don’t have to limit yourself — creativity is an asset no matter what you do.”
She concluded by emphasising that the Makoko crisis should concern all Nigerians.
“When you see homeless people or crime on the streets and ask where it’s coming from, this is part of it,” she said. “You are making an already bad problem worse by not providing alternatives.”
“This is everybody’s problem.”
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
