Squatting in Nigeria

Squatting in Nigeria occurs when people migrate from the countryside to cities such as Abuja, Port Harcourt and in particular Lagos.^[1][2] Other reasons include the lack of low cost housing, unemployment and inability to access loans.^[1] Barriers to the construction of low cost housing are corruption, lack of national policy initiatives and bad governance.^[1] As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, homelessness in cities was observed to be increasing in 2020.^[2]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was less squatting in West Africa than in other areas of Africa and also Latin America, because cheaply rented property was available and traditional tribal structures meant it was easy to find housing.^[3] However, the population in urban areas was rising rapidly: Ajegunle, now part of Lagos, went from a population of 12,951 in 1948–1952, to an estimated 120,000 in 1970–1972; Aba went from 57,787 in 1948–1952 to an estimated 300,000 in 1970–1972; Abeokuta went from 84,451 people in 1948–1952 to an estimated 250,000 in 1970–1972; Kakuri now part of Kaduna had 1,000 inhabitants in 1948–1952 and an estimated 30,000 people in 1970–1972.^[3] In November 2020, Lagos State issued over 2,500 eviction notices to informal settlements in Fagba a district of Ifako-Ijaiye, stating that the squatters were hoodlums who had been involved in the EndSARS protests.^[4]