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The realities of urban slum dwellers in the wake of COVID-19: a case study on forced evictions in Lagos, Nigeria

Published on March 9, 2021
Unyime EYO | genida

Covid-19 has heightened vulnerabilities for slum dwellers in cities across the global south. In African metropolises such as Lagos, Nigeria – slum dwellers represent part of the vulnerable groups bearing the brunt of the current health crisis. More specifically, the pandemic has brought worsened realities for displaced urban slum populations who have historically been victims of forced evictions, carried out by the city government to meet overly ambitious development agendas. Undoubtedly, forced evictions (inclusive of those carried out before & during the pandemic) have left displaced urban slum dwellers homeless and in inhumane living conditions. These increasing realities have made them more susceptible to risks associated with the virus. In unprecedented times such as this, it is therefore crucial, more so than ever before, that the existing legal framework (though fragmented) should be fully utilized, to afford Urban IDPs, legal protections they so desperately need. In advancing these protections, democratic institutions such as the Courts play an important role by giving holistic interpretations to basic rights contained in extant laws such as the Constitution, as well as handing down bold, definitive and enforceable orders. This brief seeks to evaluate the situation of displaced urban slum populations in Lagos, in the era of Covid-19, a critique of the existing legal framework and the government’s response to the plights of Urban IDPs. Lastly, it shares how advocacy efforts such as public interest litigation can aid in preserving the rights of Urban IDPs even in this period.

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