PROPOSED URBAN UPGRADING AT BADIA, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Project:

PROPOSED URBAN UPGRADINGAT

BADIA, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Agencies involved/participants

• Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Urban Development (As a Valued Resource/Economically Viable Part of the State)

• UNCHS/UNDP-United Nation Centre for Human Settlements (As Implementation activities for Lagos Metropolitan Area Masterplan, 1980-2000)

• Apapa local government, Nigeria (interested in securing place for the construction of its council’s secretariat and secondary school)

Agencies involved/participants(contd)

• The Nigerian Railway Corporation (opportunity for possible expansion of the rail station and establishment of the second rail line to the Apapa port, warehousing facilities and staff quarters)

• The community development associations (Badia West, Badia East, and Apapa Oro); community leaders, landlords, and residents/occupiers (insecurity of tenure, poor infrastructure, sanitation, inaccessibility to liveable environment)

Agencies involved & participants (cont’d)

• NGOs: (Molaj Consultants, SERAC & SFHL-Independent Development Consultant , Social and Economic Rights Action Centre & Society for Family Health and Living)

MANDATE

• Urban renewal of the inner areas of the Nigerian cites

• through upgrading of shanties squatter settlements

• with the view to ensuring the provision of acceptable basic amenities, standard of housing, infrastructure enhanced employment opportunities and income of the urban poor

• Commencing with three (3) Pilot schemes in 1. Badia (Lagos), 2. Kano and 3. Aba

.About the Site

• within the south of Lagos metropolitan area

• within the Badia East portion of the Apapa Local Government area of Lagos state (The commercial capital of Nigeria)

• located in the coaster area of lagos with an annual rainfall of 1460 – 1830mm, Relative humidity of 80-100%; average temp-18-32 degree Centigrade

The site (cont’d)

• Soil Nature is Hydromorphic (peat band alluvial: silty, poorly drained; high underground water level, low-lying terrain, prone to water-logs during rainy seasons; unpredictable miscellaneous fills requiring an expected sand filling of 1 – 3m for foundation, 8m and 20-25m piles for foundation of structures not exceeding 2floors and 20-25 floors respectively)

• has a population size of about 26,250/118,500 (SNC Lavalin, Nigeria: Urban Infrastructure Upgrading of Lagos State, 1995)

• comprises of six communities-Iddo/Ijora Olopa, Ijora Oloye, Badia, Sari Iganmu, Apapa and Panti

• Settlement in Badia dates back to the 1960s, arising from residents’ movements away from Ijora, which was precipitated by the establishments of industries/industrial estates and its proximity/contiguous location to Ijora, Apapa Ports and Lagos Island (i.e. nearness to employment opportunities)

• Consequently: Rapid increase in population without infrastructure to match. Led to slum, insecurity of tenure, poor sanitation, poor planning and other concomitant challenges of urban slums;

• Predominantly Residential (39.2%) • Commercial (12.2%),

• Public/Institutional (4.3%),

• Industrial (1.0%),

• Education (1.5%),

• Circulation (5.8%),

• Undeveloped (35%)

• Ranked First amongst the 42 identified as blighted areas in Lagos State, with the most deplorable living conditions, with no particular previous positive intervention.

• Somewhat efforts were demolitions of part thereof in 1978/79 (politically motivated-interparty issue); 1986 under the guise of clearing set-backs for the Rail line (Military fiat) and in August 2003 (the demolition of entire Oke-Eri part of Badia East for take-of the upgrading activities)

Governmental acquisition

• Under Federal (Colonial) Government valid and subsisting acquisition order (12th March, 1929), for the Nigerian Railway Corporation

Emerging Challenges

• Pressure from the original owners (Ijora Family) on the Government to revert the land back to them., since government were yet to put the land into use/uses for which it was acquired from them

• Re-sales of plots of land by secondary settlers/occupiers (Ilajes etc) displaced from Oluwole village (site for the National theatre, 1973) who knew they are temporarily occupying

• NO FURTHER ACTION COULD BE TILL DATE

Possibly due to

LACK OF POLITICAL WILL,

PRESSURE FROM THE ORIGINAL FAMILY-OWNER/

COURT LITIGATION (Statute-barred Possibility)

IMPLICATIONS OF SECONDARY SALES OF LAND

CONCOMMITANT BURDEN OF RESETTLEMENT OR RELOCATION , NGOs activities etc

CONCLUSION

• Development according to Juan Eliasson means so much for the world and for the individual human being, it is a life in peace. Development is a life without poverty and inequalities. Development is respect of human rights, and the belief in governance and in good and strong institutions. To end poverty and fight inequalities – which is a universal challenge –there is need to grow a strong, inclusive and transformative economy based on public-private partnership to fund infrastructure.