Lagos

Question 1

Where is Lagos situated ?

Answer 1

Southwest of Africa, on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea

Question 2

Key facts about Lagos

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

What is the main cause of growth in Lagos ?

Answer 3

Lagos expanded rapidly in the 1970s due to the oil boom in Nigeria, creating jobs

Question 4

Why might people migrate to Lagos from rural areas ?

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

How has Lagos increased in population ?

Answer 5

It has increased from 1 million to 15 million in 55 years

Question 6

What are the opportunities in Lagos ?

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

What percent of Lagos’ population live in squatter settlements ?
And how much money do they live on a day ?

Answer 7

60% and £1

Question 8

How has Lagos tried to keep up with the rapid growth in people ?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Importance of the city internationally

Answer 9

• 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.

Question 10

Importance of the city nationally

Answer 10

• 10% of Nigerias population live in Lagos

* it contributes 30% of Nigerias GDP

Question 11

Importance of the city regionally

Answer 11

• sheltered harbour for shipping

* good transport connections help industry locate there

Question 12

Olusosan Dump problems

Answer 12

• 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

Question 13

Benefits of olusosan dump

Answer 13

• 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

Question 14

Where is Makoka situated ?

Answer 14

On the edge of Lagos lagoon

Question 15

What are the homes in makoko build of ?

Answer 15

Tinsheets and wooden planks

Question 16

What is the population in makoko ?

Answer 16

Estimated to be 1/4 of a million

Question 17

What are the jobs for people in Makoko ?

Answer 17

Fishing and informal economy work

Question 18

What percent of family’s live in one room in makoko ?

Answer 18

75%

Question 19

How many homes have no kitchen no bath and no toilet in makoko ?

Answer 19

38%

Question 20

How many people drink water from wells or boreholes in Makoko ?

Answer 20

55%

Question 21

How many people drink straight from the river in makoko ?

Answer 21

4%

Question 22

How many people use Pail latrine ( sewage is poured straight into the river )

Answer 22

33%

Question 23

Problems faced by makoko

Answer 23

• risk of tsunamis destroying their homes
• bad weather can destroy their homes
• sanitation is low
• little facilities
• increased risk of diseases

Question 24

What is the problem with public taps, well and boreholes?

Answer 24

This water can be contaminated with sewage

Question 25

What percent people have piped, purified water in Lagos ?

Answer 25

10%

Question 26

What has increased due to polluted water in Lagos ?

Answer 26

The number of cases of cholera

Question 27

How long does the average Lagosian spend in traffic everyday ?

Answer 27

3 hours

Question 28

How many new cars in Nigeria are registered in Lagos ?

Answer 28

40%

Question 29

How many people die in car accidents?

Answer 29

28 per 100,000

Question 30

How bad is the air pollution in Lagos ?

Answer 30

5 x higher than the internationally recommended limit

Question 31

What are the efforts made to reduce traffic congestion?

Answer 31

• 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

Question 32

What is the master plan to help congestion ?

Answer 32

• 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

Question 33

How is the floating communities helping Lagos ?

Answer 33

• 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

Question 34

Challenge Lagos face

Answer 34

• 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