About Taibat Lawanson

Taibat Lawanson is an urban development professional. Over the last twenty-five years, her work focuses on the interface of social complexities, urban realities and the quest for spatial justice in Africa. At the University of Liverpool, she leads the Urbanism and Coastal Heritage Lab, investigating how globalization and climate change impact the built environment, sustainable livelihoods and cultural heritage of West African cities.
Localising SDGs

Africa’s Urban Future Depends on Local Action: Why Strong Local Governments are Key to Achieving the SDGs

By |2026-07-14T09:43:27+02:00July 14th 2026|Resilient Cities and Climate|

The Sustainable Development Goals may be global commitments, but their implementation depends on local action Taibat Lawanson writes. In Africa’s rapidly urbanising cities, empowered local governments are essential to turn the SDGs into tangible improvements in people’s everyday lives – from housing and transport to basic services, resilience and inclusive governance.

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Lagos: The Gaps Between Urban Policy and Urban Reality

By |2024-01-02T15:49:26+01:00October 30th 2018|Finance, Good Governance|

In Lagos, Nigeria, Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are common in urban planning projects. But whom do they benefit: people or profit? Dr Taibat Lawanson argues that the city's urban development strategy focusses too much on PPPs and thus favours profit over people – and calls to the state government to shift its focus back to a policy that benefits all citizens.

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