Urban Growth - Lagos 🇳🇬

Question 1

Where is Lagos located?

Answer 1

Nigeria, Africa

Question 2

What is Nigeria’s GDP?

Answer 2

highest in Africa (around $1.082 trillion)

Question 3

What is the population of Lagos?

Answer 3

around 15 million (estimate)

Question 4

What is Lagos’ annual growth rate?

Answer 4

3.2%

Question 5

Why is Lagos an important city regionally?

Answer 5

large migrant population increases cultural diversity
well connected to other towns, good centre for trade

Question 6

Why is Lagos an important city nationally?

Answer 6

home to 80% of Nigeria’s industry and many global companies (e.g. Nestle)
WAS the capital until 1991 (now it’s Abuja)

Question 7

Why is Lagos an important city internationally?

Answer 7

main financial centre for West Africa and 5th largest economy in the continent
international port and airport good for global trade

Question 8

What factors have caused rapid growth in Lagos?

Answer 8

• colonised by Britain in 1860s making it a centre for trade and merchants
• ex-slaves returned to Lagos in 1800s increasing the population
• independence in 1960 —> economic development Nigeria’s resources no longer controlled by Britain
• government financed construction projects, sea ports and factories —> jobs, rapid urbanisation
• natural increase and migration

Question 9

What is Nigeria’s birth and death rate?

Answer 9

roughly 35.2 births per 1000 people
death rate of 9.6
this is rapidly increasing the population

Question 10

How many migrants are estimated to enter Lagos daily?

Answer 10

1200
either from neighbouring countries or rural areas in northern Nigeria

Question 11

Why is there so much rural —> urban migration?

Answer 11

ethnic or religious conflict and high levels of poverty elsewhere in Nigeria and Africa

Question 12

What are the social opportunities in Lagos?

Answer 12

• more healthcare centres, hospitals, more medicines
• 90% of Nigerian children in urban areas attend primary school compared with 60% in rural areas (Lagos has 20,000 schools)
• water treatment plants provide safe water piped directly to some areas of the city

Question 13

What are the economic opportunities in Lagos?

Answer 13

• rapid growth means there are lots of construction jobs
• Lagos is home to many banks, government departments and factories
• 2 ports
• growing fishing industry
• thriving film and music industry (‘Nollywood’)

Question 14

What is Lagos’ population density?

Answer 14

20,000 people per km^2

Question 15

What problems has rapid growth led to in Lagos?

Answer 15

• slums and squatter settlements
• harder access to clean water, sanitation and energy
• harder access to health and education
• unemployment and crime

Question 16

How has rapid growth led to slums and squatter settlements?

Answer 16

house construction can’t keep up with number of migrants and population in Lagos
increases house prices and making them too costly for many
as a result, 66% of people in Lagos live in illegal settlements (Slums)

Question 17

What are slums like?

Answer 17

flimsy wooden huts
as they are built illegally, residents face eviction if slums are demolished to clean up Lagos

Question 18

How has rapid growth led to harder access to clean water?

Answer 18

only about 40% of Lagos is connected to state water supply
water is in such short supply that people pay hugely inflated prices for water from informal sellers (water vendors on streets)

Question 19

How has rapid growth led to less sanitation?

Answer 19

up to 15 households can share a toilet, and the waste often goes to local water supplies - leads to health problems
2006 study found that only 1% of homes in Lagos have access to sewers

Question 20

How has rapid growth led to energy deficit?

Answer 20

April 2022, all of Nigeria’s electricity shut down twice
80% of people with electricity in Lagos get their supply from generators (highly polluting)
no infrastructure companies providing electricity

Question 21

How has rapid growth led to lack of health?

Answer 21

Lagos only has 12 hospitals to provide to a total of 15 million people. 3,707 people share the services of each doctor
many people can’t even afford treatment

Question 22

How has rapid growth led to lack of education?

Answer 22

not enough schools for the growing population of Lagos (one school in Makoko slum)
many families can’t afford to send their kids to school

Question 23

How has rapid growth led to increased unemployment ?

Answer 23

not enough formal jobs for growing population (people find new ways to make money e.g. scavenging)
~60% of population work in informal jobs without legal protection
unemployment rate at about 25%

Question 24

How has rapid growth led to increased crime?

Answer 24

high levels of crime - many slums (Makoko) are patrolled by gangs called ‘area boys’ who commit crimes and police the slums themselves
many people turn to crime when unemployed

Question 25

What are the environmental issues in Lagos?

Answer 25

air pollution managing waste water pollution traffic congestion

Question 26

How has air pollution become a problem in Lagos?

Answer 26

- generators being used - factories - motor vehicles

Question 27

What are the adopted solutions to air pollution in Lagos?

Answer 27

- laws against highly polluting activities - incentives to purchase cleaner vehicles

Question 28

How has managing waste become a problem in Lagos?

Answer 28

- lack of sewers - rubbish dumped on street - no bin collecters - waste is constantly growing

Question 29

What are the adopted solutions to managing waste?

Answer 29

- 650 bin lorries purchased cost $20 mil, 850 metric tonne capacity - paying people to collect rubbish

Question 30

How has water pollution become a problem in Lagos?

Answer 30

- waste being dumped in water - lack of sewage systems - lack of laws that regulate waste disposal in water

Question 31

What are the adopted solutions to water pollution?

Answer 31

- 2012 Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission was formed and began regulating water supply and water vendors and issuing licenses for boreholes - installed closed drains - 4 waste water treatment facilities

Question 32

How has traffic congestion become a problem in Lagos?

Answer 32

- lots of vehicles - roads aren't big enough - average commute is 4 hours - most vehicles are 15+ years old (air pollution) - more people can afford vehicles = more on road

Question 33

What are the adopted solutions for traffic congestion?

Answer 33

- 2003, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority set up to improve transport - bus lane created (200,000 people use it daily, reduces travel time) - Railway system created

Question 34

What were the social benefits of the 2013 Makoko Floating School prototype?

Answer 34

- 100 students got free education (didn't need to work or scavenge pay) - school was built by unskilled people - skills they learn helped them repair their own homes - school also used for community meetings and activites

Question 35

What were the economic benefits of the 2013 Makoko Floating School prototype?

Answer 35

- improved children's job prospects - provided jobs for local teachers - school's success encouraged government to launch its 'Makoko Regeneration Plan' - develop slum further

Question 36

What were the environmental benefits of the 2013 Makoko Floating School prototype?

Answer 36

- built using locally sourced materials (250 barrels) - school's buoyancy meant it could adjust to different water levels - ran on solar power - sustainable - collected rainwater to meet its water needs - didn't use resources community relied on

Question 37

What happened to the floating school in 2016?

Answer 37

collapsed in a storm but a new one was planned and rebuilt