lagos case study Flashcards
Lagos population growth annually
4%
location + population
South coast of Nigeria, West Africa
15 million people
youthful population, 50% under the age of 25
% of rural migrants
40%
wealth of Lagos
Lagos is more affluent that any other location regionally which means the local government source lots of taxes which are spent on the wider region
Lagos has >9000 millionaires
influence of Lagos within Nigeria
25% of Nigeria’s GDP from Lagos
If it was a country, it would be Africa’s 7th largest economy
Crude oil
Accounts for 14% of GDP and most of this comes through Lagos
University of Lagos is one of Nigeria’s leading institutions
influence of Lagos across the world
Home to Nollywood - Nigeria’s movie industry; second biggest movie industry in the world after Bollywood
One of the largest and busiest ports in Africa
Murtala Muhammed International Airport serves >7m passengers a year
It is a major hub for W Africa and Europe connections
The major ICT hub in West Africa
Beta- city (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Cairo, Nairobi all higher)
Lagos is the 15th biggest city by size but >100 cities appear higher than it on the Alpha rankings.
A sleeping giant - this will surely change in the 21st century.
influence of migration
daily increase
- 2,000 people
% from surrounding countryside
- 40%
international migrants
- from LIDCs (e.g. Benin & Togo; arrive in slums) or from EDCs/ACs (arrive in richer parts like Banana Island)
impact of migration on growth
- in 1950 Lagos was just on Lagos Island. Nowadays Lagos sprawls >50km inland. Widespread slums on periphery of the city
impact of migration on character
- city busier, noisier, more polluted. City more globalised (TNCs arrived) and more similar to every other city (it is homogenised). City more multicultural - good for creative arts scene
ways of life
- culture
Wider Lagos
- Increasingly modernised and multicultural city
Home to Nollywood - film and music
Tourist sites across the city - e.g. National Museum, Lekki Conservation centre
Beaches - e.g. Oniru beach, very posh
Makoko Slum
- Existence eked out on the edge of the Lagoon
Culture set up along more traditional line - local chiefs (Baales) have huge importance
Floating churches, fishing, timber works are a big part of life
Children swimming in dirty lagoon
ways of life
- ethnicity
Wider Lagos
- Multicultural in terms of national and international groups
Dominant ethnic group = Yoruba
There are 250 different ethnic groups
Many international citizens particularly from surrounding LIDCs like Togo and Benin
Makoko slum
- Founded as a fishing village by the Egun ethnic group
Most migrants from Benin.
ways of life
- housing
Wider Lagos
- A huge range across the city
Two extremes: slums like Makoko vs Banana Island
Banana Island: 353 luxury land plots
Banana Island: Average price = $2m for 3-bedroom apartment
Makoko slum
- Only 10% of Makoko residents own their house
The land is owned by one large landowner (Olaiya Family)
Most houses are on stilts over the lagoon
Dangerous fire risk to wooden buildings
ways of life
- leisure
Wider Lagos
- Widespread opportunities
E.g Freedom Park – music events, Bridge Boys F.C. Football at Agege Stadium, Funtopia water park
Makoko slum
- More small scale singing and dancing, churches, restaurants
People go to bars to watch (UK) Premier League games
ways of life
- consumption
Wider Lagos
- Largest shopping mall with international brands: The Palms.
Many luxury shop / restaurants on Lagos Island
Idumota market (locals) and Lekki market (tourists)
Makoko slum
- Floating restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets
20% unemployment means low disposable income
challenge 1: Housing
- why are there housing issues?
- cost
- slums
- tenure
- Officially only 2,000 homes built per year but 2,000 people move in per day, many unregistered and ‘illegal’ houses constructed, large amounts of the population can’t afford homes
- Most of official house builds are unaffordable to the majority of Lagosians, Eko Atlantic residences will only be affordable to the rich and international markets
- Extensive slum creation due to insufficient housing stock, Makoko houses 250,000 people, in Lagos, 60-80% of urban dwellers are living in slums because of the lack of adequate housing (1,000 units built per year to match the 1,000,000 demand)
- Majority of people don’t own the land they live on (7% of Makoko residents own the land), government can bulldoze houses when they need to develop new areas (happened in July 2012, 3000 homes were bulldozed), not owning land mean residents don’t want to improve the region they live in due to fear of eviction
challenge 2: transport
- why are there transport issues?
- rail
- road
- traffic issues
- sea
- City has grown quickly as an LIDC, hasn’t got the money to fund large transport infrastructure construction, many can’t afford private transport and so rely on walking or public transport
- no city wide rail system
- fuel subsidy = cheap petrol, many drive hence more cars = traffic = more pollution
- only 3 bridges from the mainland to Lagos Island
- one of the most polluted cities, armed robbers steal from stationary cars, large traffic drams particularly at rush hour
- Lagos ports are overwhelmed by the volume of trade
