agos, Nigeria is a largely overlooked megacity and is also one of the fastest growing cities. If Lagos continues to grow at its current pace, Tokyo and Mumbai will only outnumber it in 2015. Most residents live in slum neighborhoods made of whatever materials are available. A majority of the houses do not meet government approval and are with out electricity or sewers. Raw sewage submerges entire parts of the city during the rainy season. It is estimated that half of the population is infected with malaria. Poverty is severely prevalent as many residents live on less than a dollar a day. Lagos is also viewed as the most dangerous city in the world. The “rent-a-cop” officers wield machine guns and half wild dogs. The ratio is 1 officer per 1000 tenants. Lagos’ diversity is exemplified in the 250+ languages spoken in the streets due to the amount of people pouring in searching for a better life. Lagos also has a huge underground economy where a living can be made while still searching for a better opportunity; being business-savvy is a survival skill. The general success and thriving nature of Lagos is due to the Nigerian’s ability to turn dysfunction into productive urban forms such as trade or modes of transportation. (Steffen 279-280).
Steffen, Alex. World Changing: A User’s Guide For The 21st Century. New York: Abrams, 2008.
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