We empower poor and marginalized individuals to lead the changes that they would like to see in their own communities -- whether greater access to justice for the poor, pro-poor urban governance and policy, or community-led in-situ upgrading and development.
We bring technical expertise in law, advocacy, urban planning, creative media, and community organizing to inform, strengthen and support the urban poor communities and grassroots social movements to solve justice and development problems.
To do this, we train and support a network of community-based paralegals in urban poor communities in Nigerian cities. We support movement-building and inter-community solidarity among urban poor and other marginalized communities through exchanges and collective forums. In partnership with grassroots social movements, we undertake strategic advocacy and litigation to backstop the work of the community paralegals and open spaces for the urban poor to lead the changes they want to see in their cities.
latest press releases:
DECLARATION: Lagos Declaration on Community Driven Justice (joint statement with 14 other legal empowerment organizations from across region, March 2022, Lagos, Nigeria) (also in French here)
REPORT: “Between Hunger and the Virus: The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on People Living in Poverty in Lagos, Nigeria” (joint report with Human Rights Watch — July 2021, Lagos, Nigeria)
REPORT LAUNCH: JEI Proud to Launch Report on Household Energy Consumption Across Lagos Informal Settlements (May 2021, Lagos, Nigeria)
Makoko Community Rejects Forced Enumeration & Demands Community-Led Regeneration Process (8 May 2021, Lagos, Nigeria)
Joint Condemnation for Continued Harassment & Threats to Evictees from Tarkwa Bay during Global Pandemic (10 June 2020, Lagos, Nigeria)
Joint Condemnation for Attacks on & Arrests of Persons Living with Disabilities on Peaceful Protest (26 February 2020, Lagos, Nigeria)
Joint Demand for Repeal of Keke Ban & Other Anti-Poor Policies Having Extreme Adverse Impacts on PLWDs & the Urban Poor (7 February 2020, Lagos, Nigeria)
Nigerian Navy Acting on “Orders from Above” Forcibly Evicts Thousands from Okun Ayo & Tarkwa Bay Communities (22 January 2020, Lagos, Nigeria) [see also Court Order dated 30 January 2020 restraining further evictions]
Global Movement of the Urban Poor Condemns Forced Eviction of Waterfront Residents in Cotonou; Calls for Urgent Engagement with Residents to Prevent Further Displacement (27 August 2019, Cotonou, Benin Republic) [FRENCH]
Court Finds the Governor Ambode is Undermining Rule of Law & Principles of Constitutional Democracy After Thousands More Forcibly Driven From Otodo Gbame in Ruthless State-Sponsored Land Grab (14 April 2017, Lagos, Nigeria)
Joint Civil Society Press Statement: Civil Society Condemns Forced Eviction of Otodo Gbame Community & Brazen Disregard for Rule of Law by Lagos State Government (23 March 2017, Lagos, Nigeria)
Lagos State Government Forcibly Evicts Otodo Gbame Community in Brazen Disregard for Rule of Law & Ongoing Mediation Process (20 March 2017, Lagos, Nigeria)
Lagos High Court Finds Waterfront Evictions to Be Inhuman and Degrading in Violation of the Constitution (26 January 2017, Lagos, Nigeria)
Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation Condemns Forced Eviction of over 30,000 Residents of Otodo Gbame and Ebute Ikate on 9-11 November, and Calls for Provision of Emergency Relief Materials and Shelters for the Homeless (15 November 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)
Over 30,000 Homeless after Police Use Demolition by Fire and Bulldozer Working in Dead of NIght to Destroy Otodo Gbame Community Despite Subsisting Injunction (10 November 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)
Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation Reacts to Lagos State Government's Clarification of Eviction Threat & Renews Call for Dialogue for Alternatives to Eviction (20 October 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)
Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation Demands Retraction of 7-Day Eviction Notice to Lagos Waterfronts (17 October 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)
Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation Calls for Tenure, Shelter, Livelihoods as Part of New Pro-Poor Urban Agenda in Lagos (4 October 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)
Communities & Civil Society Partners Condemn Forced Evictions at Eagle Island and Decry Threat of Further Evictions Looming Over 60,000 in 17 Communities in Port Harcourt, Nigeria (19 July 2016, Port Harcourt, Nigeria) (joint press statement with the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation and Nigerian CSOs)
Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation Condemns Crackdown on Street-Trading in Lagos (16 July 2016, Lagos, Nigeria)
Joint Position of Women and Grassroots Groups at African Regional Meeting toward the Habitat III Agenda (24 February 2015, Abuja, Nigeria) (joint statement read by Shack/Slum Dwellers International (SDI), Huairou Commission, and WIEGO delegations)
Joint Communique against Forced Evictions Affecting the Urban Poor (22 October 2015, Accra, Ghana) (joint communique issued by federations of the urban poor and supporting NGOs from across West Africa) (voici la version française du Communiqué Conjoint)
Pre-Election Press Release: Calling for Pro-Poor Urban Governance (26 March 2015, Lagos, Nigeria)
Voices from the Slums: Lagos Communities Cry Out for Security of Tenure (13 October 2014, Lagos, Nigeria)
Forced Eviction and Land Grab-Affected Communities in Rivers State Prepare for National Human Rights Commission Sitting Promised for November 2014 (7 October 2014, Port Harcourt, Nigeria)
Urban Poor communities adapting to & surviving the COVID19 pandemic — for stories from the frontlines, visit our Corona Diaries of the Urban Poor page.
COVID19 Response. Since the COVID19 pandemic reached Nigeria, JEI has been working with grassroots partners on peer-to-peer community health education, mass distribution of fliers and face masks, and food assistance to urban poor households affected by lockdown measures — while also continuing grassroots legal aid, gathering data, and documenting the impacts of COVID19 on urban poor communities. Explore our Corona Diaries of the Urban Poor grassroots storytelling project and read our Report on the Impacts of COVID19 on the Urban Poor in Lagos (June 2020)
#SavetheWaterfronts. Following on the Lagos Federation's letter demanding the retraction of the Lagos State Government's 9 October 2016 purported 7-days' eviction notice to all waterfront communities across the state, the Federation with dozens of threatened communities are staging a series of peaceful protests. Photos from protests available for download via Flikr.
Lagos federation protests threatened eviction of dozens of waterfronts in Lagos. On day 1 of protests, 13 October 2016, protesters lie in the street to demonstrate how the threatened evictions will cause loss of lives, shelter, and livelihoods. One sign reads "destroy one slum, another springs up. #oururbanagenda."
On 7 November 2016, a Lagos State High Court judge issued an injunction restraining demolition of waterfronts or eviction of residents or any other steps to take action on the Governor's 9 October 2016 threat. Despite this order, on 9 November 2016, violent evictions by fire commenced in one waterfront, Otodo Gbame displacing over 30,000.
On 15 November 2016 the now homeless evictees from Otodo Gbame and Ebute Ikate, joined by Federation members from waterfront settlements across the state and also from Port Harcourt, embarked on a peaceful protest demanding provision of emergency shelters, and an investigation into the police who lit their structures on fire to drive them out. Photos of the protest available for download via Flickr, press release available here.
On 26 January 2017, a Lagos State High Court Judge ruled that the waterfront evictions are cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The court has ordered for the parties to attempt mediation and report back in one month. See a copy of this landmark ruling and a joint JEI/Federation press release here.
Despite the subsisting court order, the Lagos State Government brutally and unlawfully resumed demolition of remaining homes in Otodo Gbame on 17 and 21 March and (see press statement) then again on 9 April 2017, which included the beating of dozens of residents, the arrest of 8 residents, and shooting of 2 residents, one of which died shortly thereafter. Photos and videos of forced evictions and demolitions available for download via Flickr.
After failing to appear in court and put up any defense to the evidence of blatant violation of the court orders against demolition, on 12 April 2017 Justice Onigbanjo delivered his ruling on the contempt proceeding, finding the actions of Governor Ambode to undermine the principles of constitutional democracy and rule of law. See a copy of this ruling and a joint JEI/Federation press release here.
Waterfront residents crowd outside the lagos state high court to hear the judge's ruling on 26 January 2017.
World Bank Safeguard Policies. Residents of Lagos slums negatively impacted by World Bank-financed projects join together to make their voices heard in the consultation process to review the World Bank Environmental & Social Framework (ESF) (a.k.a. the Safeguard Policies).
Badia evictees still homeless nearly 2 years after the forced eviction of 18, 19, 22 September 2015 and facing new threat of eviction from their temporary shelters. See videos below and press release for more information.