Lagos Case Study

Question 1

Where is Lagos?

Answer 1

Lagos is located in Nigeria, in the west of central Africa. It is on the coast in the south-west of Nigeria, next to the Bight of Benin.

Question 2

What are the two main reasons why Lagos has grown in population?

Answer 2

Rural-to-urban migration
Natural increase

Question 3

How has the population of Lagos changed since 1950?

Answer 3

In 1950, the population was only 300,000.
Now, it is over 20 million.

Question 4

How many migrants were there between 1990 and 2004?

Answer 4

7 million

Question 5

What are the push factors of the Nigerian countryside?

Answer 5

Poor wages.
High rates of natural increase put a strain on land and services.
Large scale pollution in areas such as the Niger delta.
Terrorist group Boko Haram creating fear and instability in the north.
Severe drought makes farmers vulnerable to bad harvests, causing food to be scarce.
Increased mechanisation forcing many farm workers out of work.

Question 6

What are the pull factors of Lagos?

Answer 6

Well connected by air and a large sea port.
Many job opportunities in service industries and manufacturing.
More schools, better healthcare, and entertainment.
Home to Nigeria’s film industry Nollywood.
Economy is growing very quickly and creating new wealth on an annual basis.

Question 7

How has natural increase changed Lagos’ population?

Answer 7

Natural increase is high with a fertility rate of 5.65 births per woman.
Better healthcare leads to a lower infant mortality rate, so more children reach adulthood, increasing the population.

Question 8

What are the social opportunities of Lagos?

Answer 8

Education
Healthcare
Water supply
Energy

Question 9

How is education a social opportunity in Lagos?

Answer 9

There are 11,226 primary schools and 2,565 secondary schools in Lagos.
As a result, 98% of children in Lagos are in education, compared to the national average of 61%.
This allows them to have better jobs and a higher income, therefore a higher life expectancy.

Question 10

How is healthcare a social opportunity in Lagos?

Answer 10

The life expectancy in Lagos rose from 37 in 1960 to 52.8 in 2014, and is still increasing.

The under-five mortality rate in Lagos is 50 per thousand, compared to the national average of 120. This is also much better than the rural area Kano, which has an under-five mortality rate of 203.

In Lagos, there is 1 doctor per 5,014 patients compared to the national average of 1 doctor per 10,000 patients.

Question 11

How is water supply a social opportunity in Lagos?

Answer 11

Lagos has a clean water supply of about 81%.
However, only the wealthiest 10% have a reliable piped water supply. The other 90% has to rely on stand pipes in the street or buying water from vendors.

This is still better than no supply at all, as drought often causes water supply to be an issue in rural areas.

Question 12

How is energy a social opportunity in Lagos?

Answer 12

Electricity generators sell well in Lagos, which means not everyone has electricity and the supply is not permanent. Only the wealthiest have access to power.

This might still be better than rural areas such as Kano, as there is often no electricity at all.

Question 13

What are the economic opportunities of Lagos?

Answer 13

Lagos as a transport hub
Importance to Nigeria’s economy
Employment opportunities

Question 14

How are Lagos’ transport links an economic opportunity?

Answer 14

Coastal location allows a seaport for global trade. Lagos Lagoon also provides a sheltered harbour for ships, making it very accessible.

Murtala Muhammed International Airport is the main point of arrival for 80% of flights to West Africa. In 2015, over 7 million passengers passed through the airport.

Question 15

How is Lagos important to Nigeria’s economy?

Answer 15

Lagos contributes 30% to Nigeria’s GDP. This is significant considering that Lagos is only 10% of Nigeria’s population.

The Eko Atlantic project will be home to 250,000 people and employ 150,000 in its construction.

Question 16

How does employment differ between Nigeria and Lagos?

Answer 16

In Lagos, 78% of people work in the tertiary industry, compared to the national average of 50% in 2016. This means that people in Lagos are more likely to work in this industry and have a higher income.

In Lagos, only 3% of people work in the primary industry, compared to the national average of 30% in 2016. As jobs in this industry are poorly paid, people in Lagos are more likely to have a higher income.

Question 17

What are the challenges of urban growth in Lagos?

Answer 17

Growth of slums
Water, sanitation and energy
Healthcare, education, unemployment, and crime

Question 18

How are slums a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 18

Lagos’ biggest slum is Makoko, where over 250,000 people live illegally in appalling conditions. There are many problems, such as:

No access to basic infrastructure.
6 to 10 people in each house.
Water is black and oily, so unsuitable for fishing and has a pungent smell.
Rickety wood houses raised on stilts which are unstable and unattractive.
High crime rates.
Life expectancy below 50.
No clean water.
Outbreaks of disease such as typhoid and HIV due to unsanitary conditions.

The government ‘dealt’ with the problem by demolishing houses and structures, but people only built them again.

Question 19

How is water supply a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 19

Only 10% of Lagos residents have a piped water supply. The remainder must rely on street water vendors, which have many problems:

Not very many of them, so difficult to rely on.
No guarantee that the water is clean.
Dirty water causes disease, such as cholera and dysentery.
People may have to carry the 8 gallons of water for kilometres, which may also damage their spines.
Water vendors are often part of criminal gangs, which promotes crime in Lagos.

Question 20

How is sanitation a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 20

Only 1% of Lagos households were connected to sewers in 2016. This poor sanitation can often contaminate water and lead to outbreaks of disease such as cholera.

Lagos only has 4 wastewater treatment plants. As of 2011, the state planned to build 10 more over the next 5 years, but this has not been completed.

Question 21

How is healthcare a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 21

Lagos only has 12 main hospitals to supply 20 million people.
5,014 people must share the services of each doctor.
Poor sanitation increases the strain on healthcare as diseases such as cholera regularly break out.

Question 22

How is education a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 22

A growing population puts an increased strain on schools.
Providing education to people in slums is incredibly difficult.

Question 23

How is unemployment a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 23

The unemployment rate fluctuates regularly but stands at a high 25%.
Due to this, many unemployed turn to crime as they have no other choice.

Question 24

How is crime a challenge for Lagos?

Answer 24

Many areas of the city are unregulated, making them very hard to police.
There are many violent crimes, such as kidnapping and armed robbery, which causes fear and insecurity.

Question 25

How is Makoko’s floating school a solution?

Answer 25

Floating communities allow building on water, which provides more space for a growing population. This also allows a lower population density as they can become more spaced out.
As these buildings float, rising sea levels will not affect them due to them being able to rise and fall with the sea.
Solar panels provide energy for the buildings, which allows the poor to have energy at no cost.
Barrels underneath collect rainwater, which creates a clean water supply which has no cost.

Question 26

How is Makoko’s floating school sustainable?

Answer 26

Local building materials, so it is free and materials do not have to be imported.
Local people build it, which provides employment.
Green area, which means that the environment is not damaged.
Solar panels, which provide renewable energy at no cost.
Rainwater storage, which provides a clean water supply at no cost.

Question 27

How is Makoko’s floating school sustainable?

Answer 27

Local building materials, so it is free and materials do not have to be imported.
Local people build it, which provides employment.
Green area, which means that the environment is not damaged.
Solar panels, which provide renewable energy at no cost.
Rainwater storage, which provides a clean water supply at no cost.