Lagos Case Study Flashcards
What is the importance of Lagos on a regional, national and international level?
Lagos used to be the capital city of Nigeria before the government moved to Abuja, and remains the country’s centre of trade and commerce.
Around 80% of Nigeria’s industry is based in or around Lagos.
Lagos is also very well-connected internationally due to its coastal position allowing for a large seaport and airport. As a result it is now the main financial centre in West Africa.
Why is the population of Lagos growing?
The main cause of population growth is rural-urban migration, with Lagos offering several pull factors such as the promise of improved employment and healthcare. Push factors such as the stark regional inequalities in Nigeria (with the North plagued by terrorism from the Boko Haram group and at risk of desertification) and worse job opportunities and access to services in rural areas also contribute.
The rate of natural increase is also high since Lagos’s population is very youthful.
What are the social opportunities offered by Lagos?
While you may have to queue if you cannot afford to pay, access to healthcare in Lagos is far easier than in rural areas where the nearest doctor or hospital is often difficult and time-consuming to travel to. Education is also better, with urbanisation contributing to an increase in expected years of education (on average across the country) from 7 to 9.
What are the economic opportunities offered by Lagos?
Lagos has better job prospects than anywhere in Nigeria, with skilled, high-paying employment available to the educated. New developments such as Eko Atlantic, a new coastal development which will house high-quality accommodation and a new business district, will further contribute to this.
Even those unable to find a formal job may be able to work in the informal economy,
Name a slum in Lagos and state the challenges of living there.
Makoko is a slum in Lagos, in which around 250 000 people live. Slums are characterised by makeshift homes and very high population densities, with many households consisting of just one room. Sanitation is poor leading to high levels of pollution and a risk of diseases e.g. cholera. Access to utilities is also practically non-existent, with many relying on water vendors.
Access to services such as schools is also poor, with only a few schools within the slum.
Give one solution to the challenges in a slum in Lagos that you have studied
Floating schools. This project allows for the people of Makoko to be educated, improving their chances at getting a good job and income. They also act as a community centre outside of school hours. The schools are designed to be self-sufficient, with rainwater collection and solar power. Their floating nature also makes them immune to rising sea levels.
What is the problem with the water and energy supplies in Lagos?
Energy supplies are often unreliable, with those with access experiencing frequent power cuts. Wealthier households use their own generators to counteract this, but poorer households will not have this luxury, if they have electricity at all.
Water is also difficult to obtain. Only 10% of the population has access to piped water, so many people rely on water bought from vendors in order to sustain themselves. Some use wells or boreholes, tapping into groundwater supplies.
Accessing groundwater leads to several issues, since the sanitation issues in Lagos lead to it being polluted. Risks of cholera have risen as a result. Groundwater can also become salty due to Lagos’s proximity to the sea. Water vendors also face many of the same problems since they often use the same sources.
Give a solution to Lagos’s water problem
The 2012 Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission aims to regulate water vendors and boreholes, to ensure that everyone has access to clean and safe water.
What transportation issues do Lagos face? Give the solution already in place, as well as the solutions planned.
The average commuter in Lagos spends 3 hours per day in traffic. The traffic causes air pollution (at 5x the recommended limit), noise issues and wastes people’s time, reducing productivity.
Lagos already has a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which carries a quarter of Lagos’s commuters. However one BRT line is inadequate for a city of Lagos’s size, hence the continuing problem. There is a plan for several train lines to form the LRMT (Lagos Rail Mass Transit), with one high-speed line already under construction.
Improvements to waterways, pavements and the road network are also planned.
