In Makoko, residents’ houses and lives, many built on stilts, hover over the polluted, dark waters of the Lagos waterfront and lagoon. But contrary to the perception of the community as a development blight and hurdle to the city’s forward development, the design and urbanism firm NLÉ wants to show that Makoko is an inspiration and a model of adaptation for Africa’s coastal cities: the firm has designed a prototype school, currently under construction, to float on Makoko’s waters, marking an innovative adaptation to challenging circumstances. Read more or join the discussion.
Submitted by Victoria Okoye — Mon, 01/21/2013 – 00:00
Lagos is in a transportation crisis. A city of close to 15 million persons, Lagos is larger than London, but without a train system corresponding to the London Tube. A combination of bad roads, too many cars and trucks, and frequent accidents means that the city is often gridlocked. Everyone who can afford a car buys one, since what passes for public transportation is largely inhospitable — a network of tens of thousands of mini-buses known locally as danfos. In the last few years the government has introduced a bus system that takes advantage of dedicated lanes, but its capacity is a far cry from what is needed. In any case it still has to depend on the overburdened road network. The motorcycle taxis (okadas) that once dominated and defined the metropolis, providing an opportunity for time-challenged travellers to weave through traffic jams, have recently come under the government’s hammer. Without radical and intelligent solutions the situation is bound to worsen, as Lagos is Africa’s fastest growing city, and the World Bank estimates that there will be more than 20 million people in it by 2020. What is clear is that Lagos cannot hope to make a dent on its traffic situation without forms of mass transportation that can convey large numbers of people outside of the road network. The solutions will lie on land — rail lines — and in the water. Read more.
Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Sun, 01/20/2013 – 11:14
Event: Social Media Week Lagos 2013: Open and Connected
18–22 February 2013 
Lagos, Nigeria
Social Media Week is a worldwide event exploring the social, cultural and economic impact of social media. Our mission is to help people and organizations connect through collaboration, learning and the sharing of ideas and information.
February 2013 will mark the first time Social Media Week takes place on the continent of Africa! Social Media Week Lagos brings together thought leaders, creatives, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens from Nigeria – and throughout the continent and the diaspora – to explore how people and organizations are connecting to share new ideas and information.
“By programming keynotes and panels that look at how Africans – Nigerians in particular – are incorporating social media in their unique social, political, and creative landscapes, Social Media Week Lagos will explore just how important being connected to the world is for 21st century Africans” – Ngozi Odita, Executive Director of Social Media Week Lagos. Learn more.
Event: Nigeria Summit 2013: Enabling and Implementing the Change
19–20 March 2013 Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria has a young and growing population, a wide range of natural resources and a government full of internationally renowned reformers — yet life for the average Nigerian is not improving. There’s no shortage of visions that see Nigeria transformed into a dynamic, competitive economy where entrepreneurialism and innovation thrives. But the real need is for action — at all levels. Bringing together 180+ international business leaders, investors, policymakers and influential commentators, our flagship Nigeria Summit will focus on what is being done to execute the vision. Learn more.
The innovative element of the LagosPhoto Festival is its emphasis on community and public accessibility. In a time and space where artistic appreciation is often a privilege few can afford, the festival brings contemporary art — in this case, photography — to the public by siting exhibitions in key community locations. This year, public spaces like Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Falomo Roundabout in Ikoyi, Oworoshoki-Alapere Median, and UBA Park at the University of Lagos in Yaba are among the festival’s key venues. Learn more.
Submitted by Victoria Okoye — Wed, 10/31/2012 – 01:00
In marginalized Lagos communities like Ajegunle and Oshodi, the BornTroWay Creative Arts Project is empowering and spotlighting youth art creativity. The project started in Ajegunle, considered one of Lagos’ harshest slum settlements — but also a thriving place where some of the country’s premier athletes and performers have grown up. For its youth participants, BornTroWay is making a difference that goes far beyond teaching them to dance, to act, to write a song or rap. Read and discuss.
Submitted by Victoria Okoye — Sat, 10/06/2012 – 01:00
In July, the Lagos State Government razed the homes, businesses, and livelihoods of more than 20,000 residents of the waterfront community of Makoko, a major slum in the megacity. The recent destruction of homes and livelihoods is not a new phenomenon in this waterfront community: Seven years ago, in April 2005, the government led a similar exercise, demolishing houses, churches, shops, and community health clinics, and displacing more than 3,000 people. The trend of these demolitions, and similar ones in Lagos State and across the country over the past few years, highlights the insecure position of land tenancy and title for residents in informal communities and slums like Makoko. Read and discuss.
Submitted by Victoria Okoye — Wed, 09/19/2012 – 01:00
Young girls in low-income, informal settlements such as Iwaya, a waterfront settlement in Lagos, must grow up fast: they are often the informal solution for their families as they struggle with the daily issues of income and infrastructure access. Such responsibilities often force these girls to forego their education to tend to the immediate needs of their households — and without an education, they remain at a distinct disadvantage for the rest of their lives. Action Health Incorporated develops educational solutions that are accessible for out-of-school adolescent girls — starting in Iwaya — to help stem this cycle of poverty. Read and discuss.
Submitted by Victoria Okoye — Wed, 08/22/2012 – 01:00
In Lagos, the systemic challenges facing urban water infrastructure affect each and everyone, from the wealthy oga in his corner office on Victoria Island to the impoverished beggar eking out his subsistence on a walkway in one of the city’s slums. Fewer than 30 percent of the population has access to piped water connections of any kind, and even they must contend with erratic access; meanwhile, for those fetching water at community water points, even when water does flow, it is often anything but drinkable. In short, the shortcomings of government intervention leave a vast gap between supply and demand and have transformed water, especially potable water, into an essential commodity. Read and discuss.
Submitted by Victoria Okoye — Tue, 08/07/2012 – 01:00
Rapid urbanization through natural growth and rural-to-urban migration is overwhelming cities in the emerging world — cities which are already struggling to develop their infrastructure. Lagos, where guest contributor Olatunbosun Obayomi has lived all his life, is no exception. The United Nations estimates that the city’s population will hit 16 million by 2015, making it the world’s 11th-largest urban system. Its population density has already reached an extreme level at 4,193 people per square kilometer. Meanwhile, a combination of official neglect, corruption, extreme poverty, and rapid, largely uncontrolled population growth has led to the decay of the existing urban infrastructure — a key determinant of how livable the city will be. Read and discuss.
Submitted by Lagos — Wed, 06/06/2012 – 01:00