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

A coalition of rights groups, civil society organizations, and informal workers staged a peaceful protest at Abuja's Jabi Lake Recreational Park, urging the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to safeguard the livelihoods of informal workers impacted by the park's redevelopment. The protesters, while not opposing the park's modernization, emphasized the need for a transparent process, stakeholder engagement, and appropriate compensation and social protection for displaced traders and small business owners.

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We are not against the development of this park. We are saying there should be a social protection plan for the informal workers.

The protest follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2026 between the FCTA and developers Akida Hills Ltd. and Suburban Broadband Limited. The FCTA aims to transform Jabi Lake Park into a premier leisure and tourism hub designed to attract investment, boost tourism, and generate employment. However, civil society groups, environmental advocates, and informal workers have voiced significant concerns regarding the transparency of the concession agreement, the lack of public consultation, and the potential adverse effects on the hundreds of individuals whose livelihoods depend on the park.

Friday Odey, Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, articulated the coalition's demands during the protest. "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," Odey stated. The coalition also insisted on the public disclosure of the Memorandum of Understanding between the FCTA and the developers, emphasizing the public's right to information and informed discourse.

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They have a right to be consulted because this park has been their source of livelihood for many years.

While the FCTA maintains that the redevelopment will enhance the facility and unlock its economic potential, the protesting groups are demanding the publication of the MoU, transparency in the procurement process, guaranteed public access to the park, and robust social protection measures for the affected informal workers. Their protest underscores the tension between urban renewal initiatives and the need to protect the economic well-being and rights of vulnerable populations.

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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.