The aftermath of eviction in the Nigerian informal economy

Abstract

This article examines the mechanisms through which street traders claim and maintain access to urban space in the aftermath of eviction – a phenomenon that affects poor urban workers across the global South. Whilst much is known about the immediate impacts of evictions, there has been limited consideration of the post-eviction, longer-term responses of traders. Drawing on primary research in Lagos, Nigeria, this article analyses street trader responses to eviction, with a focus on their strategies for claiming access to space. The study highlights the importance of both individual and collective actions in re-establishing a foothold in public space. However, maintaining access to public space proved to be more problematic, with collective action severely diminished through the co-option of trader associations by urban authorities. This new knowledge has the potential to strengthen the resilience of traders to future evictions and their potentially devastating impacts.

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