🏚️ Human: Lagos LIC Flashcards
What is a squatter settlement?
Illegal settlements on edge of cities built with scrap materials.
What is urban sprawl?
Uncontrolled expansion of towns or cities.
Why is Lagos important nationally?
- Home to 10% of Nigeria’s population
- Accounts for over 60% of industrial and commercial activities
- Contributes to 30% of Nigeria’s GDP
- Generates the most money earnt of all states in Nigeria
- Most Nigerian manufacturing industry is located in Lagos
How much has Lagos’ population grown from 2000 to 2020?
122%
What are four push factors from rural parts of Nigeria?
- Lack of rural jobs
- Poor soil quality
- Access to infrastructure
- Civil war
What is natural change?
Birth rate - death rate
What are possible issues created by rapid population growth?
- Infrastructure can’t cope with overpopulation
- Growth of squatter settlements
- Increase in crime due to lack of jobs
- Congestion
- Poor air quality
What are possible benefits created by rapid population growth?
- Increased workforce
- Access to education increases the skill of workforce
- Attract TNCs + FDIs
- More taxes increase = government can afford to improve Lagos
How has urban growth in Lagos created social opportunities?
- Access to healthcare: People often die from curable diseases in rural areas just because they don’t have access to healthcare
- Access to education: The ability to provide children with a better education is a massive pull factor to Lagos. There are 10+ unis in Lagos state alone
- Improved Transport: Lagos opened the Lagos Blue Rail Line in Jan 2023 and it’s expected to transport 250k people daily
- Access to energy: People in Lagos have better access to energy than in rural areas. Two new power stations are planned to reduce the city’s shortage of electricity
- Water Supply: Water is unreliable, with only the wealthiest homes having piped water. However, others use public taps and boreholes or buy their water from street vendors, rural areas have people walking miles to source fresh water
How has urban growth in Lagos created economic opportunities?
- There are better employment opportunities with higher pay and of a wider range in Lagos
- Jobs are available in Lagos where they aren’t in any other place in Nigeria
- tertiary jobs like lawyers, computing, finance and business are in demand, allowing ppl to earn a significantly better wage in the formal sector
What is the informal economy/sector?
The part of any economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by any form of government. For example a street vendor that does not pay tax.
What are the characteristics of the Olusosun rubbish dump?
- Olususon is a huge landfill site near the heart of Lagos
- Workers live at the dump, building their homes out of recycled materials
- Around 500 people work at the dump
- There are shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas and a mosque at the dump
- Each day the workers sort 3,000 tonnes of waste by hand, picking out valuable items to sell
What are the advantages of the Olususon rubbish dump?
- Rubbish can be turned into energy by harnessing methane gas emitted from rotted waste
- A new project by the Lagos State waste Management Authority is planned to produce 25MW of electricity, which is enough to power a town
- Olususon is a way people in Lagos find solutions to problems - seeing it as an opportunity
- Without a dump, a lot of reusable items would go to waste. People in Lagos can save money by buying recycled goods
What are the disadvantages of the Olususon rubbish dump?
- Workers live at the dump, building their homes out of recycled materials
- Natural gases build up under decomposing waste, especially when it is dry, which often leads to fires
- A lot of workers wear no shoes or have no gloves, meaning sharp objects can cut them
- Electric waste is brought to the site and treated with chemicals to extract reusable materials, but toxic fumes are released
- Governments collect around 40% of the 10,000 tonnes of waste produced in Lagos everyday. The 40% is taken to landfill sites and only 13% of this waste is recycled
What are the positives of Makoko slum having an informal economy?
- Informal shopping areas exist where you can buy anything you might need.
- Rooms within houses have multiple functions, including living, working and sleeping
- Many daily jobs are done in social spheres which helps build community
- Many people have a job in Makoko and work locally
- The slum offers a first foothold to living in the megacity
How has urban growth created challenges in Lagos?
En - Large rubbish dumps contain illegal toxic waste
En - Factory Emissions are not controlled leading to water + air pollution
En - There is no system to deal with waste from factories
En - There are no sewage systems and raw sewage is ejected into the lagoon causing health problems
En - Only 40% of rubbish is officially collected
So - Traffic congestion is really bad. It can take up to 2 hours to travel in the city in rush hour
So - Houses in shanty towns like Makoko are made of flimsy materials and built on stilts
So - Few primary schools in shanty towns and can be very expensive and sometimes unaffordable
So - Communal toilets are shared by up to 15 houses
So - There are not enough formal jobs for migrants
SoEc - Only the wealthiest homes have piped water, other poorer areas have to walk up to 3km away
SoEc - Richer households use diesel generators to produce electricity but can often run out, unreliable
So - High levels of crime are self-policed by ‘area boys’
SoEc - High unemployment in Lagos state due to the influx of people from every corner of the country
So - 60% of people live in slums
So - Lack of sanitation + basic facilities in slums
Ec - Electric supply in poorest areas comes from illegal connections that often cut out
What are challenging conditions in slums?
- Lack of sanitation
- Vulnerable to sea level change and flooding
- Lack of access to clean water
- Lack of legal rights
- Poor health
- Unemployment and poor quality of work
What are some opportunities in Makoko?
- Swiss government will build a healthcare centre in the slum
- New raised city in the works which would provide new homes + jobs
- Regeneration plan for a floating school