By Ghazali Ibrahim
A coalition of concerned youths under the Lekki LCDA Communities Youth Development Association has raised an urgent alarm over what they described as ongoing environmental and cultural destruction of several communities in Lekki, Lagos state due to large scale industrial development.
Under the banner of the Lekki LCDA Communities Youth Development Association, residents from communities including Igbekodo, Apakin, Itamarun, Oriyanrin, Otolu, Okegelu, Lepia, Ikegun, Folu, Akodo Ise, Okun Ise, and Aboreji are rising in protest, saying their ancestral lands are being wiped out with no consultation, compensation, or consideration.
The movement, launched with youth involvement gained public sympathy after residents shared photos of demolished shrines, bulldozed coconut farms, and family homes razed to make way for these mega projects.
In an exclusive interview with BlackBox Nigeria, the Youth leader, Alhaji Ismail Owotose said, “This situation is not just about land. It’s about a pattern of neglect and silence.”
“These development projects — Dangote Jetty, Lekki Seaport, Atlantic City — were all planned and executed without proper Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) being made public, and without consulting or compensating the communities they are destroying.”
According to the youth leader, the group has made countless attempts to raise alarm.
“We’ve written letters, engaged traditional leaders, contacted local authorities — but our cries have been ignored.”
The impact of the destruction is deeply personal and multifaceted: Ancestral burial grounds, traditional shrine, coconut trees and farmlands, local businesses and homesand most critically, youths are left landless, voiceless, and hopeless, with no future in sight.
“This is not just a development issue — it’s a human rights and cultural survival issue,” the youth leader emphasized.
“We’re not here to fight progress. We’re here to demand dignity, inclusion, and justice for the people who have always been here.”
Residents say they are not opposed to development but insist that it must be inclusive, respectful, and just.
They’re calling on the Lagos State Government, federal authorities, and international rights organisations to intervene before more damage is done.
As of press time, none of the companies involved in the projects including Dangote Group, Lekki Free Trade Zone officials, or the Lagos State Ministry of Environment have issued formal responses.
