The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa episode artwork

EPISODE · May 17, 2026 · 30 MIN

The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa

from Up First from NPR · host Jodiveb

For many of the poorest residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the land their families have lived on for generations is now being violently seized by the government to build luxury condos. The communities are fighting back, but even court injunctions haven’t stopped the bulldozers. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu goes to these sites of destruction and talks to those who have lost everything in this race to develop one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy🔗 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:📩 Get the full transcript and daily news alerts:👉 https://goo.su/rXoU5U8 👈📌 Support the show by visiting our sponsors and partners.🎧 New episodes every morning at 6 AM ET.

For many of the poorest residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the land their families have lived on for generations is now being violently seized by the government to build luxury condos. The communities are fighting back, but even court injunctions haven’t stopped the bulldozers. This week on The Sunday Story, NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu goes to these sites of destruction and talks to those who have lost everything in this race to develop one of the world’s fastest-growing megacities.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy🔗 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:📩 Get the full transcript and daily news alerts:👉 https://goo.su/rXoU5U8 👈📌 Support the show by visiting our sponsors and partners.🎧 New episodes every morning at 6 AM ET.

NOW PLAYING

The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa

0:00 30:18

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Up First from NPR?

This episode is 30 minutes long.

When was this Up First from NPR episode published?

This episode was published on May 17, 2026.

What is this episode about?

For many of the poorest residents in Lagos, Nigeria, the land their families have lived on for generations is now being violently seized by the government to build luxury condos. The communities are fighting back, but even court injunctions haven’t...

Can I download this Up First from NPR episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!