By Adé Yẹmí
The recent remarks by a Nigerian senator calling for the demolition of buildings around the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja have ignited a storm of controversy and raised deep questions about development, dignity, and the rights of citizens.
While the senator argues that the current structures “do not befit the capital” and may give arriving visitors a poor first impression, critics are asking: at what cost should cosmetic urban aesthetics come?
At the heart of this debate is a low-income community that has grown around the airport; home to thousands of Nigerians who, despite their modest means, have built lives, families, and memories there.
These neighborhoods, though not architecturally sophisticated, represent the everyday resilience of people simply trying to survive in an already harsh economic climate.
To prioritize shiny skyscrapers and manicured landscapes over human lives is a dangerous precedent. Nigeria, like many developing nations, is grappling with a severe housing crisis.
According to UN-Habitat, the country needs at least 20 million housing units to meet current demand. In such a scenario, suggesting the demolition of existing homes without first offering a sustainable and inclusive alternative, appears tone-deaf at best and elitist at worst.
There is no doubt that a nation’s capital should reflect the pride of its people. But the soul of any city lies not in its buildings, but in its people. True development is not about what visitors see from the airplane window, but how citizens feel in their own homes.
Rather than propose demolition, a more visionary approach would be urban renewal; upgrading infrastructure, improving sanitation, and implementing low-cost housing programs that preserve the community while enhancing its outlook. Instead of pushing people out, why not lift them up?
The senator’s concern for Abuja’s image may be valid, but beauty should never come at the expense of humanity. A capital city must not just be beautiful, it must also be just.
