LAGOS – Pregnant women displaced by the ongoing demolition of the Makoko waterfront community are facing severe health risks, including a lack of shelter, antenatal care, and safe delivery options, an investigation has revealed.
Forced to relocate to distant riverine settlements, many expectant mothers now live in makeshift shelters or canoes, battling hunger, illness, and the looming fear of where they will give birth and shelter their newborns.
Life in Makeshift Refuge
Theresa, seven months pregnant and a mother of three, now lives on a canoe moored at Tomaro Island. Her home near a power line in Makoko was demolished four weeks ago. She spent three weeks sleeping on water before finding temporary space on land.
“I couldn’t sleep well, and I have been having headaches and a fever,” she told investigators. The clinic where she registered for antenatal care lies in ruins, and she has been unable to continue her check-ups or access medications. With her savings depleted and no livelihood, her hope for a safe delivery rests “in God’s hands.”
Adeline Zosu, nine months pregnant, has relocated to Agala community. She lives in a cramped zinc structure without electricity, clean water, or a proper clinic. “I have no place to lay my baby after I give birth,” she lamented, adding that she lacks a complete delivery pack and has only a few items of clothing for her newborn.
Health Crisis and Expert Warnings
A local midwife, Nurse Matilda, reported that several displaced pregnant women she examined had dangerously high blood pressure—a leading cause of maternal death—attributed to stress, poor sleep, and malnutrition.
Health experts warn that the situation drastically increases risks:
* Hypertension & Fever: Gynaecologist Dr. Joseph Akinde stated that stress-induced hypertension severely jeopardizes pregnancy outcomes. Professor Ernest Orji added that fever, often from malaria or infections, can lead to preterm birth, miscarriage, or low birth weight.
* Danger for Newborns: Paediatrician Professor Ben Onankpa warned that exposure to cold, damp environments puts newborns at immediate risk of hypothermia, frostbite, and infection. “Babies die quickly from hypothermia when exposed to extremely cold environments,” he said.
* Systemic Breakdown: The settlements lack basic infrastructure. A five-hour boat tour found no functional clinics, potable water, or electricity in areas like Sagbokoji and Tomaro. Delays in reaching emergency care could be fatal.
Government Stance
The Lagos State Government has defended the demolitions, citing public safety and urban regeneration. Permanent Secretary for Urban Development, Mr. Gbolahan Oki, stated the action enforces a legal 100-meter setback from power lines, which he described as a concession against a wider 250-meter safety standard.
A Desperate Outlook
With clinics destroyed, livelihoods lost, and no adequate shelter, the displaced women embody a growing humanitarian and public health crisis. As their delivery dates approach, they are left with uncertain medical support and the haunting question of where their newborns will find safety in their first days of life.
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