SPOTLIGHT ON: LIVEABLE CITES
Conceptualising The Liveable African City
What does liveability mean from an African cities' perspective and how do we get there? Taibat Lawanson presents an unconventional and compelling take on this question.
Achieving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Lagos State
Youths in Lagos face significant challenges regarding access to quality sexual and reproductive health education and services. Since 2011, Youth Development and Empowerment Initiative (YEDI), an adolescent health organisation, has been working to improve the health and wellbeing of adolescents and their communities in Nigeria.
Understanding Dynamics of Urban Poverty in Nigeria: What Role for Urban Governance?
How are rapid urbanisation, urban poverty, and slums' emergence interconnected in Nigeria? And what areas of urban governance should local governments focus on if they are to successfully tackle urban poverty? Bassey Bassey shares some reflections.
How a Misdirected Land Use Law Disregards Coastal Dwellers’ Rights
Lagos' Waterfront Infrastructure Development Law facilitates the sacrifice of the rights of coastal residents to commercial real estate development. Omotayo Odukola on the constitution and unjust implementation of a land use law.
Mapping Makoko: A Community Stating its Right to Exist
Makoko, one of Lagos' largest slums, used to be a blank spot on the map for most of its history. This has been changing with a community-based digital mapping project that enables the residents to articulate their rights.
Youth Employment in Lagos, Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities
In Lagos, youth are believed to constitute about 50 per cent of the population, equalling over 10 million people. Facing high rates unemployment and an ever-growing population, decision-makers need to understand both the challenges and the opportunities that characterise youth employment in Lagos, argues Oje Ivagba
Rural-Urban Migration and Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: Why Public Programmes Fail
With many young Nigerians relocating from rural to urban areas, unemployment is on the rise. Charles Ogheneruonah Eghweree and Festus Imuetinyan sketch out possible policy responses.
Lagos: The Gaps Between Urban Policy and Urban Reality
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.
Urban Slums in Nigeria: Ensuring Healthy Living Conditions
Many of Lagos’ residents live in informal settlements with no or limited access to basic services. With new immigrants arriving from rural areas every day, pressure increases on the already poor living conditions. Comprehensive action is needed to tackle interconnected social, environmental and health issues, says Olaoluwa Pheabian Akinwale.
Infographics: Urbanisation and Urban Development in Nigeria
URBANET’s latest infographic series with interesting facts and figures about urbanisation in Nigeria.
The Lagos Water Crisis: Any Role for the Private Sector?
Lagos is suffering from severe water shortage due to profit-oriented politics. Akinbode Oluwafemi points out the conflicts and problems around the privatisation of the water sector and offers alternative solutions for one of the world’s most populous cities.