internet geography lagos case study

Urbanisation Case Study: Lagos

Urban growth in lidcs: lagos.

Lagos' state government says the population of Lagos is 17.5 million. The national government claims it is 21 million people. Either way, Lagos is a megacity. It is the largest city in Nigeria.

Demographic and healthcare

• The annual rate of natural increase in Nigeria is 25% every 5 years.
• The life expectancy of someone living in Lagos is 54.5 years. Across Nigeria as a whole, the average life expectancy is 53.4 years.
• There are more doctors and hospitals in Lagos than in the surrounding rural areas.

Social opportunities from urban growth

• In some rural states, the adult literacy rate was as low as 14% and it was 57% on average in Nigeria.
• Lagos has clean water supplies, electricity into housing and good entertainment centres and malls.

Economic opportunities from urban growth

• This is 50% of all the startup investment in Africa and most of this funding was negotiated in Nigerian cities.
• 30% of the Nigerian population works in agriculture.
• In 2018, the GDP per capita in Lagos was $5,000 (twice the GDP per capita of Nigeria).
• Lagos is Nigeria's biggest city for banking, investment, and international transactions.

Housing opportunities

• Despite urban growth, housing in Nigeria is 77% more expensive and food is 26% more expensive in African cities (vs rural areas).

Challenges of Urban Growth in Lagos

The rapid growth of Lagos has created challenges for the people living there and the local government.

Managing urban growth and slums in Lagos

• In 2016, the World Bank found that 2/3 of people living in Nigeria lived in slums.
• Makoko, Badia, and Agege are some of the largest slums in Lagos.
• Lots of people in the Makoko slum moved to Lagos to earn a living fishing. However, the waters near the slum are full of sewage and fish struggle to live there. These fishermen struggle to get other jobs.
• Many of the children living in the Lagos slums do not go to school.

Crime and unemployment in Lagos

• Unemployed men who live in the Makoko slum create vigilante groups to provide security. These people are called 'Area Boys'.
• Fishermen struggle to catch fish and earn a living.
• Lots of people scavenge for rubbish in the city to try to earn a living.
• Nigeria's murder rate is 9.85 murders per 100,000 people. In the UK it is 1.2 per 100,000 people.

Environmental issues in Lagos

• There are 1 million cars in Lagos and their emissions can contribute to things like acid rain. Traffic is awful in Lagos, public transport is bad and a few key bridges act as bottlenecks for all the cars.
• Smog is a problem in Lagos.
• Air pollution is measured using a metric called PM2.5. A safe level is 56 and in 2016, parts of Lagos had PM2.5 readings of 217. This shows that the air in Lagos is very polluted and could be dangerous to the inhabitants of the city.
• The Olusosun landfill site is the largest dump in Africa. 10,000 tons of rubbish is put in the ground there each day. It gets 3.1 stars on Google Reviews.

Clean water and sanitation in Lagos

• People drink water from the area where fishermen fish and people go to the toilet in the same water. This spreads waterborne diseases like cholera.
• The World Bank has given funding to try to improve the sanitation in the Lagos slums.
• The water in Lagos' lagoon is too polluted to be used as drinking water.
• Between 67% and 81% of people have daily access to clean water in Lagos.

1 The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1 Natural Hazards

1.1.1 Natural Hazards

1.1.2 Types of Natural Hazards

1.1.3 Factors Affecting Risk

1.1.4 People Affecting Risk

1.1.5 Ability to Cope With Natural Hazards

1.1.6 How Serious Are Natural Hazards?

1.1.7 End of Topic Test - Natural Hazards

1.1.8 Exam-Style Questions - Natural Hazards

1.2 Tectonic Hazards

1.2.1 The Earth's Layers

1.2.2 Tectonic Plates

1.2.3 The Earth's Tectonic Plates

1.2.4 Convection Currents

1.2.5 Plate Margins

1.2.6 Volcanoes

1.2.7 Volcano Eruptions

1.2.8 Effects of Volcanoes

1.2.9 Primary Effects of Volcanoes

1.2.10 Secondary Effects of Volcanoes

1.2.11 Responses to Volcanic Eruptions

1.2.12 Immediate Responses to Volcanoes

1.2.13 Long-Term Responses to Volcanoes

1.2.14 Earthquakes

1.2.15 Earthquakes at Different Plate Margins

1.2.16 What is an Earthquake?

1.2.17 Measuring Earthquakes

1.2.18 Immediate Responses to Earthquakes

1.2.19 Long-Term Responses to Earthquakes

1.2.20 Case Studies: The L'Aquila Earthquake

1.2.21 Case Studies: The Kashmir Earthquake

1.2.22 Earthquake Case Study: Chile 2010

1.2.23 Earthquake Case Study: Nepal 2015

1.2.24 Reducing the Impact of Tectonic Hazards

1.2.25 Protecting & Planning

1.2.26 Living with Tectonic Hazards 2

1.2.27 End of Topic Test - Tectonic Hazards

1.2.28 Exam-Style Questions - Tectonic Hazards

1.2.29 Tectonic Hazards - Statistical Skills

1.3 Weather Hazards

1.3.1 Winds & Pressure

1.3.2 The Global Atmospheric Circulation Model

1.3.3 Surface Winds

1.3.4 UK Weather Hazards

1.3.5 Changing Weather in the UK

1.3.6 Tropical Storms

1.3.7 Tropical Storm Causes

1.3.8 Features of Tropical Storms

1.3.9 The Structure of Tropical Storms

1.3.10 The Effect of Climate Change on Tropical Storms

1.3.11 The Effects of Tropical Storms

1.3.12 Responses to Tropical Storms

1.3.13 Reducing the Effects of Tropical Storms

1.3.14 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina

1.3.15 Tropical Storms Case Study: Haiyan

1.3.16 UK Weather Hazards Case Study: Somerset 2014

1.3.17 End of Topic Test - Weather Hazards

1.3.18 Exam-Style Questions - Weather Hazards

1.3.19 Weather Hazards - Statistical Skills

1.4 Climate Change

1.4.1 Climate Change

1.4.2 Evidence for Climate Change

1.4.3 Natural Causes of Climate Change

1.4.4 Human Causes of Climate Change

1.4.5 Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

1.4.6 Effects of Climate Change on People

1.4.7 Climate Change Mitigation Strategies

1.4.8 Adaptation to Climate Change

1.4.9 End of Topic Test - Climate Change

1.4.10 Exam-Style Questions - Climate Change

1.4.11 Climate Change - Statistical Skills

2 The Living World

2.1 Ecosystems

2.1.1 Ecosystems

2.1.2 Food Chains & Webs

2.1.3 Ecosystem Cascades

2.1.4 Global Ecosystems

2.1.5 Ecosystem Case Study: Freshwater Ponds

2.2 Tropical Rainforests

2.2.1 Tropical Rainforests

2.2.2 Interdependence of Tropical Rainforests

2.2.3 Adaptations of Plants to Rainforests

2.2.4 Adaptations of Animals to Rainforests

2.2.5 Biodiversity of Tropical Rainforests

2.2.6 Deforestation

2.2.7 Impacts of Deforestation

2.2.8 Case Study: Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

2.2.9 Why Protect Rainforests?

2.2.10 Sustainable Management of Rainforests

2.2.11 Case Study: Malaysian Rainforest

2.2.12 End of Topic Test - Tropical Rainforests

2.2.13 Exam-Style Questions - Tropical Rainforests

2.2.14 Deforestation - Statistical Skills

2.3 Hot Deserts

2.3.1 Hot Deserts

2.3.2 Interdependence in Hot Deserts

2.3.3 Adaptation of Plants to Hot Deserts

2.3.4 Adaptation of Animals to Hot Deserts

2.3.5 Biodiversity in Hot Deserts

2.3.6 Case Study: Sahara Desert

2.3.7 Desertification

2.3.8 Reducing the Risk of Desertification

2.3.9 Case Study: Thar Desert

2.3.10 End of Topic Test - Hot Deserts

2.3.11 Exam-Style Questions - Hot Deserts

2.4 Tundra & Polar Environments

2.4.1 Overview of Cold Environments

2.4.2 Interdependence of Cold Environments

2.4.3 Adaptations of Plants to Cold Environments

2.4.4 Adaptations of Animals to Cold Environments

2.4.5 Biodiversity in Cold Environments

2.4.6 Case Study: Alaska

2.4.7 Sustainable Management

2.4.8 Case Study: Svalbard

2.4.9 End of Topic Test - Tundra & Polar Environments

2.4.10 Exam-Style Questions - Cold Environments

3 Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1 The UK Physical Landscape

3.1.1 The UK Physical Landscape

3.1.2 Examples of the UK's Landscape

3.2 Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.2.1 Types of Wave

3.2.2 Weathering

3.2.3 Mass Movement

3.2.4 Processes of Erosion

3.2.5 Wave-Cut Platforms

3.2.6 Headlands & Bays

3.2.7 Caves, Arches & Stacks

3.2.8 Longshore Drift

3.2.9 Sediment Transport

3.2.10 Deposition

3.2.11 Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes

3.2.12 Coastal Management - Hard Engineering

3.2.13 Coastal Management - Soft Engineering

3.2.14 Case Study: Landforms on the Dorset Coast

3.2.15 Coastal Management - Managed Retreat

3.2.16 Coastal Management Case Study - Holderness

3.2.17 Coastal Management Case Study: Swanage

3.2.18 Coastal Management Case Study - Lyme Regis

3.2.19 End of Topic Test - Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.2.20 Exam-Style Questions - Coasts

3.3 River Landscapes in the UK

3.3.1 The Long Profile of a River

3.3.2 The Cross Profile of a River

3.3.3 Vertical & Lateral Erosion

3.3.4 River Valley Case Study - River Tees

3.3.5 Processes of Erosion

3.3.6 Sediment Transport

3.3.7 River Deposition

3.3.8 Waterfalls & Gorges

3.3.9 Interlocking Spurs

3.3.10 Meanders

3.3.11 Oxbow Lakes

3.3.12 Floodplains

3.3.13 Levees

3.3.14 Estuaries

3.3.15 Case Study: The River Clyde

3.3.16 River Management

3.3.17 Hydrographs

3.3.18 Flood Defences - Hard Engineering

3.3.19 Flood Defences - Soft Engineering

3.3.20 River Management Case Study - Boscastle

3.3.21 River Management Case Study - Banbury

3.3.22 End of Topic Test - River Landscapes in the UK

3.3.23 Exam-Style Questions - Rivers

3.4 Glacial Landscapes in the UK

3.4.1 The UK in the Last Ice Age

3.4.2 Glacial Processes

3.4.3 Glacial Landforms Caused by Erosion

3.4.4 Tarns, Corries, Glacial Troughs & Truncated Spurs

3.4.5 Types of Moraine

3.4.6 Drumlins & Erratics

3.4.7 Snowdonia

3.4.8 Land Use in Glaciated Areas

3.4.9 Conflicts in Glacial Landscapes

3.4.10 Tourism in Glacial Landscapes

3.4.11 Coping with Tourism Impacts in Glacial Landscapes

3.4.12 Case Study - Lake District

3.4.13 End of Topic Test - Glacial Landscapes in the UK

3.4.14 Exam-Style Questions - Glacial Landscapes

4 Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1 Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.1 Urbanisation

4.1.2 Factors Causing Urbanisation

4.1.3 Megacities

4.1.4 Urbanisation Case Study: Lagos

4.1.5 Urbanisation Case Study: Rio de Janeiro

4.1.6 UK Cities

4.1.7 Case Study: Urban Regen Projects - Manchester

4.1.8 Case Study: Urban Change in Liverpool

4.1.9 Case Study: Urban Change in Bristol

4.1.10 Sustainable Urban Life

4.1.11 Reducing Traffic Congestion

4.1.12 End of Topic Test - Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.13 Exam-Style Questions - Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.14 Urban Issues -Statistical Skills

5 The Changing Economic World

5.1 The Changing Economic World

5.1.1 Measuring Development

5.1.2 Limitations of Developing Measures

5.1.3 Classifying Countries Based on Wealth

5.1.4 The Demographic Transition Model

5.1.5 Stages of the Demographic Transition Model

5.1.6 Physical Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.7 Historical Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.8 Economic Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.9 Consequences of Uneven Development

5.1.10 How Can We Reduce the Global Development Gap?

5.1.11 Case Study: Tourism in Kenya

5.1.12 Case Study: Tourism in Jamaica

5.1.13 Case Study: Economic Development in India

5.1.14 Case Study: Aid & Development in India

5.1.15 Case Study: Economic Development in Nigeria

5.1.16 Case Study: Aid & Development in Nigeria

5.1.17 End of Topic Test - The Changing Economic World

5.1.18 Exam-Style Questions - The Changing Economic World

5.1.19 Changing Economic World - Statistical Skills

5.2 Economic Development in the UK

5.2.1 Causes of Economic Change in the UK

5.2.2 The UK's Post-Industrial Economy

5.2.3 The Impacts of UK Industry on the Environment

5.2.4 Change in the UK's Rural Areas

5.2.5 Transport in the UK

5.2.6 The North-South Divide

5.2.7 Regional Differences in the UK

5.2.8 The UK's Links to the World

6 The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1 Resource Management

6.1.1 Global Distribution of Resources

6.1.2 Uneven Distribution of Resources

6.1.3 Food in the UK

6.1.4 Agribusiness

6.1.5 Demand for Water in the UK

6.1.6 Water Pollution in the UK

6.1.7 Matching Supply & Demand of Water in the UK

6.1.8 The UK's Energy Mix

6.1.9 Issues with Sources of Energy

6.1.10 Resource Management - Statistical Skills

6.2.1 Areas of Food Surplus & Food Deficit

6.2.2 Increasing Food Consumption

6.2.3 Food Supply & Food Insecurity

6.2.4 Impacts of Food Insecurity

6.2.5 Increasing Food Supply

6.2.6 Case Study: Thanet Earth

6.2.7 Creating a Sustainable Food Supply

6.2.8 Case Study: Agroforestry in Mali

6.2.9 End of Topic Test - Food

6.2.10 Exam-Style Questions - Food

6.2.11 Food - Statistical Skills

6.3.1 Water Surplus & Water Deficit

6.3.2 Increasing Water Consumption

6.3.3 What Affects the Availability of Water?

6.3.4 Impacts of Water Insecurity

6.3.5 Increasing Water Supplies

6.3.6 Case Study: Water Transfer in China

6.3.7 Sustainable Water Supply

6.3.8 Case Study: Kenya's Sand Dams

6.3.9 Case Study: Lesotho Highland Water Project

6.3.10 Case Study: Wakel River Basin Project

6.3.11 Exam-Style Questions - Water

6.3.12 Water - Statistical Skills

6.4.1 Global Demand for Energy

6.4.2 Increasing Energy Consumption

6.4.3 Factors Affecting Energy Supply

6.4.4 Impacts of Energy Insecurity

6.4.5 Increasing Energy Supply - Solar

6.4.6 Increasing Energy Supply - Water

6.4.7 Increasing Energy Supply - Wind

6.4.8 Increasing Energy Supply - Nuclear

6.4.9 Increasing Energy Supply - Fossil Fuels

6.4.10 Carbon Footprints

6.4.11 Energy Conservation

6.4.12 Case Study: Rice Husks in Bihar

6.4.13 Exam-Style Questions - Energy

6.4.14 Energy - Statistical Skills

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Urbanisation Case Study: Rio de Janeiro

UIC - Lagos Urban planning

An example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor. Makoko Slum redevelopment

In July 2012 city authorities went into Makoko slum and demolished part of it.  The authorities said that this growing slum had grown too close to the neighbouring bridge and power cables.  Locals say that over 3,000 people were affected and that they were only given 72 hours’ notice to leave the site.  Many people argue that the slums need clearing, Makoko is on prime water front property close to the major port and Lagos Island.  It is an ideal site for modern development and the people who live there are generally doing so illegally and are at risk of floods and waterborne disease.  Others argue that Makoko is a well-established and historic community with clear community structures in place, it should be improved rather than demolished.

Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP) Lagos secured $200million in funding from the World Bank in 2006 for the Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP).   The aims of the project are  to increase sustainable access to basic urban services through investments in critical infrastructure in 9 of the worst slums in Lagos, including Makoko.  In particular, the project was looking to develop a long-term technical solution to flooding; and deal properly with solid waste activities and disposal.  The project was only moderately successful, but amongst the successes were; 1. Functioning facilities were supplying 95,000 people with improved water sources but 15 facilities were not working properly. 2. 280 extra classrooms (out of a planned 450) were built in the slums 3. 7 out of 10 Health facilities constructed, renovated and/or equipped

The Floating School of Makoko Another project designed to improve the quality of life of the urban poor in Lagos was the Makoko floating school.  Before it was built, the children of Makoko only had access to one primary school which was inadequate, built on reclaimed land and was frequently threatened by recurrent flooding.

Eko Atlantic Project This is a huge project aimed not at the urban poor but at the wealthy.  It is taking place on a huge site on Victoria Island (where the CBD of Lagos is located) and is a mixed use residential and business development, along its upmarket Bar Beach coastline. The ambitious project is being built on three and half square miles of land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to provide accommodation for 250,000 people and employment opportunities for a further 150,000. The Eko Atlantic Project will bring direct investment into Lagos and increase employment in construction, the supply chain and in the area once it is built. Hotels and offices on the island will benefit too, and the reclaimed land will have the added benefit of protecting Lagos from flooding and storm surges. The development also offers new space for residential areas which are at a premium in Lagos. However, this project may cause water pollution and there are environmental concerns over the use of dredging to gain material to reclaim the land from the sea. It is feared the use of sand may accelerate coastal erosion.  Local fishermen and shell collectors living in the Oni-Jegi community will have their livelihoods disrupted and there are complaints that they were not consulted in the planning process. The other criticism is that the project is not aimed at the urban poor, but at the urban wealthy.

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Lagos – an urban case study

In this unit you’ll learn about the megacity of Lagos, its site, situation and growth from the initial settlements on the west of Lagos Lagoon. You’ll consider processes of population change through migration, and look at development, inequality, differences in the quality of life and urban challenges.  

Then try the quiz to see how much you’ve learned about Lagos. 

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Urban Planning in Lagos

Lagos faces many challenges in the twenty-first century. Find out what these challenges are and the steps being taken to overcome them.

How can urban planning improve life in Lagos?

Urban planning in Lagos is incredibly challenging as its population increases by over 600,000 people each year. This is the equivalent of the population of Bristol being added each year! One solution is to take advantage of the vast water surrounding Lagos by creating new floating communities. Squatter settlements like Makoko are already built on stilts on the edge of Lagos Lagoon.

In 2014, a prototype floating school called the Makoko Floating School was built. It had classrooms that could hold 60 children at a time. It was also used as a community centre when not being used for lessons. The Makoko floating school comprises alternative sustainable buildings and structures designed to adapt to the resident communities’ aquatic lifestyle. The floating school utilised local materials such as bamboo, timber and resources to produce architecture that applies to people’s physical and social needs and reflects the community’s culture. Wood was used as the major material for the structure, support and finishing of the school building. The form of the school building is a triangular A-Frame section with about 1,000-square-foot play area.

Makoko Floating School. Photograph: Andrew Esiebo for the Guardian

In 2016, the building collapsed due to heavy rain. No one was injured, as the students and teachers had been relocated three months earlier due to safety concerns. A new floating school has replaced the school.

How can urban planning also have environmental benefits?

The floating school provides a prototype for developing similar structures to house people in Makoko and other communities in the future. The design is environmentally sustainable, and because it floats, it could support communities facing rising sea levels due to climate change.

What challenges does Lagos face in the twenty-first century?

Lagos faces a considerable number of challenges in the future. These include:

• Population growth – By 2035, the population is predicted to reach 40 million. If this is the case, it will be one of the world’s top three megacities;

• Population density – Lagos is already four times more crowded than London. There is a finite amount of space for its population;

• Rising sea level – By the end of the twenty-first century, the sea is expected to rise by around one metre. This is a threat to low-lying Lagos;

• Water supply – Although Lagos receives tropical levels of rainfall, 2000mm per year, the city lacks the infrastructure to deliver safe, clean and affordable water to its population;

• Power supply – The supply of electricity in Lagos is very unreliable. While wealthy residents have their own generators, the poor have to use other forms of energy.

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