Lagos

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Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos as seen from Ikoyi Harbor.
Map of Nigeria showing the location of Lagos in the lower southwest corner of Nigeria.
Coordinates: 6°27′11″N, 3°23′45″E
Province	Lagos State
Government
- Governor	Bola Tinubu
Area
- City	787 km²  (303.9 sq mi)
- Land	614 km² (237.1 sq mi)
- Water	173.14 km² (66.8 sq mi)
Population (2005)
- City	8,000,000
- Density	1,380/km² (3,574.2/sq mi)
- Metro	10,000,000
	estimated
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+1)
Website: http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/

Lagos (pron. IPA: [ˈleɪgɒs], or IPA: [ˈlɑːgəʊs] overseas) is the most populous city in Nigeria and arguably the most populous in all of Africa. Lagos city is a huge metropolis with its population spread along the Nigerian coastline and upon the islands to the southwest that form an archipelago just off the mainland.

There is a school of thought that insist thats Lagos is not a single city as popularly indicated, but rather an amalgamation of several lesser towns and smaller settlements into a greater Lagos metropolis. Historically, the name Lagos referred to the smaller island city that is popularly and locally known as Eko. The mainland, on the other hand, was comprised of several separate towns and settlements such as Ikeja, Surulere, and Mushin. In the wake of the 1970s Nigerian oil boom, Lagos experienced a population explosion, untamed economic growth, and unmitigated rural migration. This caused the outlying towns and settlements to develop rapidly, thus forming the greater Lagos metropolis seen today. The history of Lagos is still evidenced in the layout of the local governments which display the unique identities of the cultures that established them.

Today, the word Lagos most often refers to the metropolitan areas which include both the Island and mainland suburbs of Lagos State. Lagos has grown from a small Yoruba city-state , and undergone periods of domination by two European powers, to become the commercial and population center of Nigeria. As only two censuses (in 1972 and 1991) have been taken since independence, estimates of its population vary considerably, but generally range from 12 to 18.5 million people,^{[citation needed]} making it one of the two most populous cities in Africa along with Cairo.

Lagos is also the former capital city of Nigeria; it has since been replaced by Abuja. Abuja city officially gained its status as the capital of Nigeria on 12 December 1991, although the decision to move the federal capital had been made in decree no. 6 of 1976.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Past Oba (or Yoruba Kings) of Lagos 2 Climate 3 Geography 4 Law and government 5 Economy 5.1 419 Advance fee fraud 6 Transport 7 Demographics 8 Neighborhoods 9 Culture 9.1 Music & film industry 9.2 Sports and tourism 9.3 Poverty 10 Education 11 Colleges and universities 12 Lagos and Koolhaas 13 See also 14 External links 15 Notes and references

[edit] History

Main article: History of Lagos

Lagos was once a big head Yoruba settlement of Awori people called Eko. The name is thought to stem from either Eko (Edo: "cassava farm") or Eko ("war camp"). The present day Lagos state has a higher percent of Awori, who migrated to the area from Isheri along the Ogun river. Throughout history, it was home to a number of warring tribes who had settled in the area. During its early history, it also saw periods of rule by the Kingdom of Benin.^[1]

Portuguese explorer Ruy de Sequeira visited the area in 1472, naming the area around the city Lago de Curamo. From 1704-1851 it served as a major center of the slave trade. In 1841 Oba Akitoye ascended to the throne of Lagos and tried to bring an end to slave trading by placing a ban on the act. Lagos merchants, most notably Madam Tinubu, resisted the ban, deposed the king and installed his brother Oba Kosoko.

While exiled, Oba Akitoye met with the British, who had banned slave trading in 1807, and got their support to regain his throne. In 1851 he was reinstalled as the Oba of Lagos.

Lagos was formally annexed as a British colony in 1861. This had the dual effect of crushing the slave trade and establishing British superiority over palm and other trades.^[2]

The remainder of modern-day Nigeria was seized in 1886, and when the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was established in 1914, Lagos was declared its capital. It continued to be the capital when Nigeria gained its independence from Britain in 1960.

Lagos experienced rapid growth throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a result of Nigeria's economic boom prior to the Biafran War.

Lagos was the capital of Nigeria from 1914 - 1991; it was stripped of this title when the Federal Capital Territory was established at the purpose-built city of Abuja. However, most government functions (especially the head of state) stayed in Lagos for a time since Abuja was still under construction. In 1991, the head of state and other government functions finally moved to the newly built capital in a mass exodus. The change resulted in Lagos losing some prestige and economic leverage.

[edit] Past Oba (or Yoruba Kings) of Lagos

Main article: Oba of Lagos

[edit] Climate

The climate in Lagos is similar to that of the rest of southern Nigeria. There are two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rains falling from April to July and a weaker rainy season in October and November. There is a brief relatively dry spell in August and September and a longer dry season from December to March. Monthly rainfall between May and July averages over 300 mm (12 in), while in August and September it is down to 75 mm (3 inches) and in January as low as 35 mm (1.5 inches). The main dry season is accompanied by harmattan winds from the Sahara Desert, which between December and early February can be quite strong. According to BBC Weather, the average temperature in January is 27°C (79°F) and for July it is 25°C (77°F). On average the hottest month is March; with a mean temperature of 29°C (84°F); while July is the coolest month.^[3]

[edit] Geography

Lagos consists of a large lagoon (hence its name) and an archipelago of large islands in the lagoon. The three major islands are Lagos Island, Ikoyi, and Victoria. The commercial centre remains Lagos Island, which is connected to the mainland by three large bridges: Eko Bridge, Carter Bridge, and Third Mainland Bridge. Ikoyi and Victoria island are closely connected to Lagos Island. The main docks are in Apapa directly opposite Lagos Island. The rest of the city is built on the African mainland. Districts on the mainland include Ebute-Meta, Surulere, Yaba (Lagos) (site of the University of Lagos), Mushin, Maryland and Ikeja, site of Murtala Mohammed International Airport.

[edit] Law and government

Like many African and developing country cities, Lagos does not have its own mayor or council, but is instead governed as part of a regular Nigerian state. Since 1967, Lagos has been part of Lagos State. Lagos was the headquarters of Lagos State until 1976, when this was moved to Ikeja.^[4]

Lagos State covers some of the area beyond the city's borders, such as Badagri, but its primary focus is on Lagos proper. The State of Lagos is split into 20 local governments. The state is responsible for utilities including roads and transportation, power, water, health, and education.

The city is also home to the High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary, housed in an old colonial building on Lagos Island.^[5]

[edit] Economy

Lagos is Nigeria's leading port. The Port of Lagos, operated by the Nigerian Port Authority is split into three main sections: Lagos port, Apapa Port and Tin Can Port, all located on the Gulf of Guinea.^[6] The port features a railhead.

The port handles imports of consumer goods, foodstuffs, motor vehicles, machinery, and industrial raw materials. Its export trade in timber and agricultural products such as cacao and groundnuts has declined since the early 1970s, although the port has seen growing amounts of crude oil exported, with export figures rising between 1997 and 2000.^[7] Oil and petroleum products provide 20% of GDP and 95% of foreign exchange earnings in Nigeria as a whole.^[8]

Lagos is also Nigeria's commercial centre. Many of the country's largest banks and financial institutions are located here. More than half of Nigeria's industrial capacity is located in Lagos's mainland suburbs, particularly in the Ikeja industrial estate. A wide range of manufactured goods are produced in the city, including machinery, motor vehicles, electronic equipment, chemicals, beer, processed food, and textiles.

[edit] 419 Advance fee fraud

Many 419 advance fee fraud scams are based out of Lagos. Several neighborhoods, such as Festac Town, are main operation areas of scammers, who use shady cybercafes to implement scams. Six areas, including Oluwole, contain many businesses that produce false documents used in scams [2] [3].

The EFCC was established in 2003 to eradicate scamming networks [4].

[edit] Transport

Ferries and highways link the parts of the city together. However, transport links within Lagos are congested, due in part to the geography of the city, as well as its explosive population growth.

Local roads in Lagos vary in quality from well-maintained to pothole-ridden.^{[citation needed]} The freeways were built by German contractors and the steady climate in Lagos keeps the freeways from cracking. As the picture to the right shows, most freeways are in working shape.

The city is filled with poor quality buses and motorcycles that are a vital part of Lagos' Transport Network. They are notorious for crashes and robberies. Many tourists do not travel on them.

An agency called Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA)^[9] has been created to solve the transportation problems in Lagos. A chain of salt-water lagoons runs west to Badagry and also east toward Ogun State. The Bus Rapid Transit scheme is set to be launched on the 4th of June 2006.^[10] The Lagos - Ibadan expressway and the Lagos - Abeokuta expressway are the major arterial routes in the city and serve as an inter-state highway to Ibadan, Oyo state and Abeokuta, Ogun State respectively. The Lagos - Ibadan expressway also links over 500,000 Lagosians with the kilometer 42 Redeemed Christian Church camp.

Murtala Mohammed International Airport serves the city.

[edit] Demographics

As no census has been completed in Lagos since 1991, accurate demographic information is hard to come by. There is clear evidence of rapid population growth in Lagos. A census is being taken and compiled (as of March 2006) for the whole of Nigeria, even imposing curfews to ensure accurate counts. This will provide the most accurate numbers to date for Lagos. This census will not include religious or tribal affiliation, as these are controversial issues with two major religions (Islam and Christianity) and three major ethnicities.

Lagos is, by most estimates, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. The United Nations predicts that the city's metropolitan area, which had only about 290,000 inhabitants in 1950, will exceed 20 million by 2010. This will make Lagos one of the world's five largest cities.^[11] Demographia.com predicts a population of 25.75 million by 2015 following an annual growth rate of 4.45%, which would make Lagos the second largest urban agglomeration in the world (only behind Tokyo-Yokohama).

In Nigeria as a whole, there are more than 250 ethnic groups.^[12]

[edit] Neighborhoods

The Lagos Mainland is the center of most of the population that commute to work on Lagos Island, in some respects the economic center of Nigeria. The area is also particularly famous for its music and nightlife, notably in areas around Yaba and Surulere, as well as the National Stadium Complex. Lagos Island contains many of the largest markets in Lagos, its central business district, the central mosque, and the oba's palace. Though largely derelict, Tinubu Square on Lagos Island is a site of historical importance; it was here that the Amalgamation ceremony that unified the North and South took place in 1914.

Other areas of the mainland include the middle class, slums, and suburbs of Ebute-Meta, Surulere, Yaba (site of the University of Lagos), Mushin, and Ikeja.

Ikoyi island, situated to the east of Lagos Island, houses the headquarters of the state government and all other government buildings. It also has many hotels, and one of Africa's largest golf courses. Originally a middle class neighborhood, in recent years, it has become a fashionable enclave for the upper middle class to the upper class.

Victoria Island, situated to the south of Lagos Island, is a wealthy enclave that is one of the homes to Nigeria's ruling elite and the country's wealthiest. It also boasts a sizable commercial district including Nigeria's largest malls and movie theatres. A lagre number of Nigeria's foreign expatriate community lives there.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Music & film industry

Lagos is famous throughout West Africa for its music scene. Lagos has given birth to a variety of styles such as highlife, juju, fuji, and Afrobeat. In recent years Lagos has been the fore-runner with African styled hip-hop branded Afrohip-hop.

Lagos is the centre of the Nigerian film industry, often referred to as 'Nollywood.' Many of the large film producers have offices in Surulere, Lagos, though there aren't any film studios in Nollywood, in the Hollywood sense. Idumota market on Lagos Island is the primary distribution center. Also many films are shot in the Festac area of Lagos.

The cinemas are gradually losing their supporters to the movie industry. Yoruba films happen to be the most watched in the cinemas, followed by Indian films. Films are not premiered for a long period of time in the western sense, especially with Yoruba films. The English spoken films move directly from the studios to the market.

The National Arts Theatre Iganmu is a National heritage.

[edit] Sports and tourism

As in the rest of Nigeria, football is the most popular sport. The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and the Lagos State Football Association (LAFA) are both based in Lagos. A prominent Lagos soccer club Julius Berger FC, members of the Nigerian Premier League; the team, owned by the Julius Berger Construction Company, is set to close in 2008, potentially leaving Lagos without a Premier League team.^[13]

The Nigerian national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, used to play almost all of their home games in Lagos; however, games are now split between the Surelere Stadium in Lagos and the larger, newer Abuja Stadium in Abuja, which may soon become the default home of the Super Eagles.^[14][15]

The Lagos State government features the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Social Development.

Lagos is not a common tourist destination, as it is primarily business-oriented and has a reputation for danger and squalor amongst many foreigners. However, some tourist attractions do exist, such as Oba's Palace. There are also several shopping malls, including the Falomo Shopping Centre. Visitors are also drawn to the musical heritage of Lagos, such as fuji music (see Music section).^[16]

[edit] Poverty

Many residents of Lagos are poor, and live in slums such as Ajegunle, whilst there are districts of considerable wealth. Lagos, like many cities in developing countries, has attracted many young entrepreneurs and families seeking a better life from throughout Nigeria and beyond.

[edit] Education

The Lagos State Government operates state schools [5].

The education system is the 6-3-3-4 system; the system is run throughout the country. The levels are Primary, Junior Secondary School (JSS), Senior Secondary School (SSS), and university. Every child has right to basic education, especially for the first 6 years. The level of poverty may determine how far the child will go after this.

[edit] Colleges and universities

Lagos is home to four universities:

• University of Lagos^[17]
• Pan-African University^[18]
• Lagos State University^[19]
• Cetep University^[20]

The University of Lagos(UNILAG) is a large institution dating from 1962, with over 35,000 students. It comprises 13 faculties, run by over 4,000 staff.

The Pan-African University is primarily a business school, offering two MBA programs. Founded in 1996 and awarded University status in 2002, it consists of the Lagos Business School and of Enterprise Development Services. The University also places some emphasis on the study of art.

Yaba College of Technology (now Lagos City University) was the first higher institution in the country, and one of the first in Africa.

[edit] Lagos and Koolhaas

Lagos has received increasing attention since the 1990s due to architect Rem Koolhaas' study of the city. His observations have challenged previous assertions in the urban theory literature about what it means to be a modern city.

[edit] See also

• Lagos State
• Lagos Island
• Treaty of Lagos

[edit] External links

Government and commerce

• Lagos State Government Official Site
• Lagos Chamber of Commerce
• Lagos State House of Assembly
• Lagos State Judiciary Board
• History

News

• Nigerian Tribune daily newspaper
• Vanguard daily newspaper
• The Guardian daily newspaper
• This Day daily newspaper
• Daily Sun Entertainment-oriented Newspaper
• Punch daily Newspaper
• Daily Trust Abuja-based daily newspaper

Education

• University of Lagos
• Lagos Business School - Pan-African University

Other

• The Guardian Christmas appeal 2005: Aids in Africa Flash movie on AIDS in the city, consisting of a photo story of 66 pictures alongside an 11-minute audio report by Jonathan Steele of The Guardian

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 6.4524° 3.4136°
  • Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
  • Aerial image from TerraServer
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia

[edit] Notes and references