THE IMPACT OF THE LAGOS EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (LEDB) ON SLUM CLEARANCE IN COLONIAL LAGOS, 1928-1960

Abstract

The British colonial administration’s slum clearance policy was one of the major sources of controversy and conflict between the government and native inhabitants of the Lagos Colony. Although both the natives and foreigners in the town clamoured for a revamp of Central Lagos, however, the planned relocation of owners of affected buildings to Mainland Lagos was roundly condemned by the residents. The outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1924 had exposed the insanitary condition of Central Lagos, hence the need to clear the area of slums in order to avoid the outbreak of a new plague. The natives used various acts such as protests, demonstration and sometimes physical confrontation to demonstrate their hatred for the slum clearance exercise. Despite the threats from the residents and their sympathisers the Board continued with the implementation of the task to rid the Colony of slums throughout the colonial era and even beyond. The paper assesses the impact of the Lagos Executive Development Board (LEDB) on slum clearance in Central Lagos during the period slated for the study. It adopts historical approach of evaluating data obtained from both primary and secondary sources and does not align to any theoretical construct or model. Findings reveal that despite numerous challenges, the LEDB contributed immensely not only to the slum upgrading but also decongestion of Central Lagos as well as laid a solid foundation for the evolution of low cost housing estates in post-colonial Lagos.