Nigeria's Urban Development Crisis: Asset Decay, Forced Evictions and Land Disputes Expose Governance Failures
From Lagos's violent evictions to Abia's airport land conflicts and nationwide infrastructure neglect, Nigeria confronts intersecting crises that reveal systemic governance weaknesses in managing urban expansion and public assets.
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Nigeria's approach to infrastructure development and urban management faces mounting criticism as three distinct but interconnected challenges expose fundamental weaknesses in governance frameworks: systematic neglect of existing public assets, violent displacement of urban communities, and unresolved land acquisition disputes that threaten major projects.
The convergence of these issues across Africa's most populous nation highlights how inadequate planning, weak institutional capacity, and disregard for community rights undermine both economic development and social stability.
Asset Restoration as Governance Imperative
Nigeria's infrastructure crisis extends beyond insufficient investment to encompass systematic neglect of existing assets, according to analysis by infrastructure governance expert David Ugwunta published in Premium Times. The country faces a fundamental policy choice between continuing to tolerate asset decay or adopting restoration as a core governance principle.
"Persisting with a model that tolerates asset neglect has institutionalised decay and reduced the efficiency of public expenditure," Ugwunta wrote, arguing that value recovery from existing infrastructure should complement rather than substitute new investment. This approach would prioritise service delivery acceleration and strengthen fiscal discipline across government agencies responsible for maintaining roads, bridges, water systems, and public buildings.
The asset restoration framework represents a departure from Nigeria's traditional emphasis on high-profile new projects while existing infrastructure deteriorates. Decades of inadequate maintenance have left many federal and state assets operating far below capacity, effectively wasting previous capital expenditure. The proposed shift would require institutional reforms to embed maintenance protocols within budget cycles and performance metrics for public officials.
Lagos Evictions Compound Security Challenges
While infrastructure governance debates continue, Lagos State's approach to urban development through forced evictions has created immediate humanitarian and security consequences. According to Premium Times reporting, violent displacement operations are exacerbating the megacity's existing security crisis rather than addressing underlying urban planning failures.
The publication noted that "new development should not come at the expense of people impoverished by decades of failed urban planning," pointing to the contradiction between Lagos's aspirations as a regional economic hub and its treatment of vulnerable communities. These evictions typically occur in informal settlements where residents lack formal land titles, despite often having occupied the areas for decades.
The security implications extend beyond immediate violence during eviction operations. Displaced communities face heightened vulnerability to crime, loss of livelihoods, and breakdown of social networks that previously provided informal security. Lagos already contends with significant challenges including armed robbery, kidnapping, and gang activity; forcibly relocating thousands without adequate resettlement provisions creates additional instability.
Human rights organisations have documented patterns of insufficient notice, destruction of property, and lack of compensation or alternative housing in Lagos evictions. The approach reflects broader tensions between rapid urbanisation pressures and weak regulatory frameworks for balancing development imperatives with community rights.
Abia Airport Dispute Highlights Land Acquisition Failures
In Abia State, landowners have reasserted control over agricultural land designated for airport development, illustrating how unresolved compensation disputes can derail infrastructure projects. According to Vanguard News, farmers announced they have reclaimed their lands for the planting season, directly challenging the state government's acquisition process.
A community representative told Vanguard: "We, the people, appreciate the importance of this project. We are not against development. We have seen the portion involved in the runway, and we are asking the government to take that and allow the project to move on. But let them leave the areas outside the 3.54-kilometre runway stretch."
The statement reveals a nuanced position from affected communities: willingness to sacrifice land for essential infrastructure components while resisting what they perceive as excessive acquisition beyond project requirements. The farmers' action suggests negotiations over compensation and land scope have broken down, potentially stalling airport construction indefinitely.
Land acquisition remains among Nigeria's most contentious governance issues, with constitutional provisions for compulsory acquisition frequently clashing with customary land rights and inadequate compensation frameworks. The Land Use Act vests all land in state governors, theoretically simplifying acquisition but often creating disputes over valuation and community consultation.
Systemic Reform Requirements
These three challenges share common roots in weak institutional capacity, inadequate legal frameworks, and insufficient community engagement mechanisms. Nigeria's federal structure complicates coordination, with infrastructure responsibilities distributed across national, state, and local government tiers that often lack resources or technical capacity for effective implementation.
International development partners including the World Bank and African Development Bank have emphasised governance reforms as prerequisites for infrastructure effectiveness. Their assessments consistently identify maintenance deficits, inadequate environmental and social safeguards, and weak dispute resolution mechanisms as barriers to sustainable development.
The Nigerian government's Economic Recovery and Growth Plan acknowledges infrastructure gaps but implementation has lagged. State governments face particular constraints, with many dependent on federal allocations that fluctuate with oil revenues, limiting their capacity for long-term infrastructure planning or adequate compensation in land acquisitions.
As Nigeria's urban population continues expanding—projected to reach 400 million by 2050 according to UN estimates—these governance challenges will intensify without systematic reforms. The choice between reactive crisis management and proactive institutional strengthening will determine whether infrastructure development supports or undermines national stability and economic growth.