Lagos Flashcards
Where is Lagos situated ?
Southwest of Africa, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea
Key facts about Lagos
- population is 16 million
- population growth rate of 600,000 per year
- area of 1,000km2
- average earning £670 per year
- 10,000 tonnes of waste is produced every day
- 80% of Nigerias industry is based in Lagos
What is the main cause of growth in Lagos ?
Lagos expanded rapidly in the 1970s due to the oil boom in Nigeria, creating jobs
Why might people migrate to Lagos from rural areas ?
- better services
- higher employment
- job opportunities
- better pay
- safer, less crime
There was: • crop failure • high crime • lack of services • low wages • mechanisation of farming
How has Lagos increased in population ?
It has increased from 1 million to 15 million in 55 years
What are the opportunities in Lagos ?
- employment = more jobs in Lagos than anywhere else in Nigeria, there is informal and formal economy
- education = there are lots of school and university’s in Lagos
- health care = it’s not always free but it is there and easy to get to
What percent of Lagos’ population live in squatter settlements ?
And how much money do they live on a day ?
60% and £1
How has Lagos tried to keep up with the rapid growth in people ?
They have created :
• transport - they first state of a rapid transit network in the city is being built
• electricity - two new power stations are planned to reduce the city’s shortage of electricity
• crime reduction - the city has brought 5 helicopters to reduce levels of muggings
Importance of the city internationally
• Lagos now has a international airport which is the main arrival point for 80% of west Africa flights
• plans to build Eco Atlantic and this to become the new financial hub of west Africa
It will be home to a quarter of a million people and employ 150,000 more.
Importance of the city nationally
- 10% of Nigerias population live in Lagos
* it contributes 30% of Nigerias GDP
Importance of the city regionally
- sheltered harbour for shipping
* good transport connections help industry locate there
Olusosan Dump problems
- natural gases build up under decomposing waste which can lead to fire
- unsightly
- only 13% of the waste is recycled
- 10,000 tons of waste is produced everyday
- electric waste is treated with chemicals to extract the reusable materials but toxic fumes are released
Benefits of olusosan dump
- without the dump a lot of reusable items go to waste
- The dump has services such as bars, cinemas and a mosque
- rubbish can be turned into energy
- people can save money just from having secondhand objects
- people make money from just junk
- Create job opportunities
Where is Makoka situated ?
On the edge of Lagos lagoon
What are the homes in makoko build of ?
Tinsheets and wooden planks
What is the population in makoko ?
Estimated to be 1/4 of a million
What are the jobs for people in Makoko ?
Fishing and informal economy work
What percent of family’s live in one room in makoko ?
75%
How many homes have no kitchen no bath and no toilet in makoko ?
38%
How many people drink water from wells or boreholes in Makoko ?
55%
How many people drink straight from the river in makoko ?
4%
How many people use Pail latrine ( sewage is poured straight into the river )
33%
Problems faced by makoko
- risk of tsunamis destroying their homes
- bad weather can destroy their homes
- sanitation is low
- little facilities
- increased risk of diseases
What is the problem with public taps, well and boreholes?
This water can be contaminated with sewage
What percent people have piped, purified water in Lagos ?
10%
What has increased due to polluted water in Lagos ?
The number of cases of cholera
How long does the average Lagosian spend in traffic everyday ?
3 hours
How many new cars in Nigeria are registered in Lagos ?
40%
How many people die in car accidents?
28 per 100,000
How bad is the air pollution in Lagos ?
5 x higher than the internationally recommended limit
What are the efforts made to reduce traffic congestion?
- introduce a bus rapid transit to provide a desperate lane for buses to reduce travel times as 200,000 people use the service everyday
- a large fleet of minibus taxis called Danfos have been introduced and carry 10-15 people but often demand is so high they carry 20-30
What is the master plan to help congestion ?
- Lagos rail mass transit = Severn new rail lines for trains to carry 7x as many people as the bus rapid transit
- network of ferries
- better walking and cycling facilities
- a new airport further away from congestion
- an interstates transport system where road, rail and waterway links to make journeys easier
How is the floating communities helping Lagos ?
- they use the vast amount of water to house the growing population
- in 2014 the makoko floating school was built, it had classrooms that can host up to 60 children
- when not being used as a school it is used as a community centre
- environmentally friendly and sustainable
- withstand the impacts of rising sea levels
Challenge Lagos face
- growing population - it is predicts to reach 40 million by 2035
- space - it is 4x as crowded as London
- rising sea levels - increase by 3mm every year
- electricity - is unreliable
