The Aftermath of Eviction in the Nigerian Informal Economy

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.