1.12 billion people currently live in informal settlements and slums without access to basic services such as water, sanitation, housing, and safety in cities around the world. The UN estimates that this number will triple over the next 30 years. Forced evictions are taking place on a large scale in several cities globally, with Lagos, Nigeria, holding a grim record.
In connection with World Habitat Day 2025, Habitat Norway is screening the film The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos (2024), a social thriller based on the brutal forced displacement of 30,000 people from Otodo-Gbame, a waterfront settlement in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2016–2017.
Based on real events, seven young filmmakers from The Agbajowo Collective directed the film with support from organizations such as Justice & Empowerment Initiative (JEI) and Slum Dwellers International (SDI). Nigeria has a rich film tradition and has successfully promoted African cinema on the global stage. The documentary elements of the film are based on footage produced by SDI’s “Know Your City” project documenting demolitions.
After the screening, we invite you to a professional discussion: How can we mobilize against forced evictions – locally, nationally, and globally?
