Makoko Slum – A logistic nightmare

If you are coming from Lagos Airport the chances are you will cross one of the busiest bridges in Africa, the Third Mainland Bridge. If so you can’t miss the Mokoko slum a labrynth of houses, partly on land and partly on water. Established in the late 19th centure as a fishing village by the Egun ethnic group it wasn’t long before overcrowding became a problem and the village was forced to expand to the water.

Fast forward more than 100 years and Makoko is now 6 distinct villages, 4 of which are water based and the remaining 2 remain on land. It’s hard to believe that anyone can eke out a living in such abhorrent conditions, with foul smelling brakish water, yet fishing is still the mainstay of the villages and small stores trade their wares from homes built on stilts

Makoko is on government land so in theory the people live there illegally. On the 16th July 2012 an event occurred that had almost dire circumstances for the residents. The government, saw this land as having great potential for real estate development and gave the residents 72 hours to basically pack their belongings and leave. Obviously they had no where to go. Makoko was now under siege by machete wielding men.

Eventually one of the chiefs was killed by indiscriminate gun fire and the government realized that the evictions were simply not possible on such a huge human scale. The people won!

Lagos is the hub of Nigeria and it is estimated that something like 2000 people enter this huge sprawling metropolis everyday looking for work and opportunities. Many of them end up here. For now the logistics of dismantling this huge settlement is not something that can be considered. Despite the hardships people actually seem to enjoy living here. The children can attend a local school usually on a rotation basis as places are limited. They will not often attend senior school as it’s just too difficult and a senior school which was once being built sadly collapsed in a storm. Obviously diseases like dysentary and malaria are rampant here, but the people I met not only looked healthy but were extremely upbeat about their lives.

I visited Makoko as part of an excellent tour with Tripzapp together with Rory much to tinyteddy’s delight (please see “Tinyteddy fell in love in Lagos” ).

Tinyteddy’s feedback. On a rather pensive note he expressed his feelings. “Suffice to say I have led a very sheltered life so this was really a baptism of fire for me. I was actually impressed with the sheer strength of the human spirit not only living but seemingly thriving in such adverse conditions”.