Jabi Lake: Rights groups protest, demand protection for displaced workers

A coalition of rights groups, civil society organisations, the Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisation of Nigeria and other pressure groups on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the Jabi Lake Recreational Park in Abuja, calling on the Federal Capital Territory Administration to protect the livelihoods of informal workers affected by the ongoing redevelopment of the facility.

The protesters said they were not opposed to the redevelopment of the park but urged the government to adopt a transparent process, consult stakeholders and provide adequate compensation and social protection for traders and other informal workers facing displacement.

The protest comes months after the FCTA, under the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2026 with Akida Hills Ltd. and Suburban Broadband Limited to redevelop Jabi Lake Park as part of its urban renewal programme.

The administration has said the project is aimed at transforming the park into a world-class leisure and tourism destination capable of attracting investment, boosting tourism and creating jobs.

However, civil society organisations, environmental advocates and informal workers have raised concerns over the transparency of the concession process, the absence of public consultation and the impact of the redevelopment on hundreds of traders and small business owners who depend on the park for their livelihoods.

While the FCTA has maintained that the redevelopment is intended to improve the facility and unlock its economic potential, the protesting groups insist they are not opposed to the project itself but are demanding the publication of the Memorandum of Understanding, disclosure of the procurement process, protection of public access to the park and adequate compensation and social protection for affected informal workers.

Speaking during the protest, the Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Friday Odey, said those concerns informed the coalition’s decision to mobilise.

“We are not against the development of this park. We are saying there should be a social protection plan for the informal workers. They have a right to be consulted because this park has been their source of livelihood for many years,” he said.

Odey said the coalition was also demanding the publication of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the FCTA and the developers.

“Everybody has a right to know. Nigerians have the right to know. Publish the Memorandum of Understanding so citizens can understand what has been agreed and engage in an informed conversation,” he said.

He also questioned the procurement process that led to the award of the redevelopment project.

“We did not see evidence of a transparent procurement process before the park was handed over. That is why we have asked the relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate the process”, he added.

According to him, the coalition had submitted several Freedom of Information requests to the FCTA seeking details of the agreement but had yet to receive a response.

“As law-abiding citizens, we have followed the legal process by filing Freedom of Information requests. We expect the government to respond because citizens have a legal right to access public information,” he added.

Also speaking, Blessing Yusuf of the Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisation of Nigeria said the coalition was demanding an immediate suspension of demolition and construction activities until consultations were held with affected stakeholders.

“Our demand is the immediate suspension of all demolition, fencing and construction works until there is full public consultation, legal review and transparency around the project,” she said.

Yusuf also called for the publication of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the developers, an independent Environmental Impact Assessment before further work proceeds, guarantees that the park will remain affordable and accessible to the public, and compensation for traders and small business owners displaced by demolition and fencing activities.

“Any development must preserve affordable public access to the park. It should also provide compensation and support for traders and small business owners whose livelihoods have been disrupted,” she said.

She described Jabi Lake Recreational Park, commissioned in 2007 under the Abuja Master Plan, as one of the Federal Capital Territory’s few public recreational spaces, serving residents, tourists, families, fitness enthusiasts and hundreds of informal workers for nearly two decades.