Olajide, Oluwafemi2025-03-062023-11-292025-03-062023-11-292043-8206https://hdl.handle.net/10182/18204This article is inspired by Finn's work which historizes the structure of formal–informal dialectic in Africa, arguing that the origin dates to the colonial era. I extend Finn's argument through the prism of formal–informal as a racialized binary embedded in the coloniality of Africa's socio-spatial policies. Drawing insights from African cities generally and Lagos in particular, I argue that the formal–informal binary has always been a tool of colonial domination, which (re)produces and maintains racial hierarchies and racialized displacement in contemporary times. This provides a useful frame to understand and challenge the hierarchical positioning of informality relative to formality.pp.1-5, 5 pages© The Author(s) 2023, Article Reuse Guidelinescolonizationdecolonialityformal–informal binaryracialized displacementurban developmentJournal Article2043-8214ANZSRC::4406 Human geographyhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Attribution