^^
Agege-Alimosho alone holds between 4 and 5 million people reportedly. That LGA is 88% slum, and 12% villages.
By the time we go down to Bariga, Itire-Lawanson, Ijora-Badiya, Olodi-Apapa, Kirikiri Area, Ajangbadi, Ebute-Metta East and West, Lagos Island/Isale-Eko, the various Jakande Estates around Lagos . . .  well, your guess is as good as mine.

Reasonably okay areas in Lagos are not so many. Ikoyi, VI, Lekki, Yaba, Surulere, Ikeja, Palmgrove/Ilupeu, etc. Most of those areas always have a slum overlay anyway.

Lagos is one huge slum, let's face it.

AjanleKoko:

^^
Agege-Alimosho alone holds between 4 and 5 million people reportedly. That LGA is 88% slum, and 12% villages.
By the time we go down to Bariga, Itire-Lawanson, Ijora-Badiya, Olodi-Apapa, Kirikiri Area, Ajangbadi, Ebute-Metta East and West, Lagos Island/Isale-Eko, the various Jakande Estates around Lagos . . .  well, your guess is as good as mine.

Reasonably okay areas in Lagos are not so many. Ikoyi, VI, Lekki, Yaba, Surulere, Ikeja, Palmgrove/Ilupeu, etc. Most of those areas always have a slum overlay anyway.

Lagos is one huge slum, let's face it.

Thank you jo.

Instead of working to better Lagos, people are busy trying to redeem battered egos, lol.

Anyway so far so good, but let Fashola extend his programmes into the slums in a more agressive manner.

AjanleKoko:

^^
Agege-Alimosho alone holds between 4 and 5 million people reportedly. That LGA is 88% slum, and 12% villages.
By the time we go down to Bariga, Itire-Lawanson, Ijora-Badiya, Olodi-Apapa, Kirikiri Area, Ajangbadi, Ebute-Metta East and West, Lagos Island/Isale-Eko, the various Jakande Estates around Lagos . . .  well, your guess is as good as mine.
Reasonably okay areas in Lagos are not so many. Ikoyi, VI, Lekki, Yaba, Surulere, Ikeja, Palmgrove/Ilupeu, etc. Most of those areas always have a slum overlay anyway.

A lot of wild speculation and lazy conjectures here and there. Certainly most Lagosians do not live in makeshift settlements.

tensor777:

A lot of wild speculation and lazy conjectures here and there. Certainly most Lagosians do not live in makeshift settlements.

Are makeshift settlements the only determinant of slums? Besides, how do YOU know where 'most' Lagosians live? Isn't that also 'wild speculation' and 'lazy conjecture' that you've condemned?

@ Debosky

I am familiar with your "raising the bar" style of argument. The pictures depicted are makeshift settlements. Is it now a case of extending this to people living in uncompleted buildings and then to people  living in "face-me" substandard housing and then on to neighbourhoods without the kind of integrated infrastructure available in the West?

Wow!! That means the foreigners that come to Lagos will be living in slums.   Eeeyyaa!!   [size=4pt]Wack journalism[/size]

Our problems have to do with followership problem not leadership, Because we fail to let the leaders know how wrong they have been, instead we glorify and praise them to high heaven, shame on the followers, We do nothing but complain only.

tensor777:

@ Debosky

I am familiar with your "raising the bar" style of argument. The pictures depicted are makeshift settlements.

This thread is challenging an assertion that 11m Lagosians live in slums, not whether or not they live in the 'makeshift settlements' depicted in one documentary. As far as I'm aware, Makoko was the makeshift settlement that was described in the BBC documentary, and it is obvious that 11m people do not live in that one settlement.

This is why the question of 'what constitutes a slum' becomes important. IF the only qualification is the existence of makeshift settlements then you are right. Clearly that cannot be the only requirement for a place to be a slum. For guidance, the UN Habitat definition of a slum household is:

a group of individuals living under the same roof that lack one or more of the following conditions: access to safe water; access to sanitation; secure tenure; durability of housing; and sufficient living area".

Is it now a case of extending this to people living in uncompleted buildings and then to people  living in "face-me" substandard housing and then on to neighbourhoods without the kind of integrated infrastructure available in the West?

I don't know - like I mentioned earlier, it would be useful to understand the benchmark for the slum categorisation before saying the assertion is wrong or otherwise. Of more value would be a Nigerian categorisation, so we know what is deemed unacceptable to us and what we will do to improve the living standards of those living below the level.

They are on their own

debosky:

I don't know - like I mentioned earlier, it would be useful to understand the benchmark for the slum categorisation before saying the assertion is wrong or otherwise. Of more value would be a Nigerian categorisation, so we know what is deemed unacceptable to us and what we will do to improve the living standards of those living below the level.

Exactly my point all along.

So much for BBC. So much for us dissipating our energy debating the correctness or otherwise of wild claims peddled about us. At this time, we must take our destiny in our hands. We must start writing our own stories. Documenting our yesterday, recording today, for the sake of tomorrow. We have started, in our own little way. One step, at a time. Join us, if you may.

i live in festac

i have no running water - i have  a shallow borehole - water treatment plant in the distant future - so i buy pure water for drinking
light is almost non existent, the past week has been wildly fluctuating voltage
the house i stay in was built in the 70s - during the last rains, water started seeping in from places i cant trace.

there are no more football fields left, so kids play footie in the close
every once in a while, the drains clog, and toilets have issues flushing and can get stoppered with poo

there's your neighbourhood liquor stores right outside the close , where people gather from 5 pm to shak

i have told myself more than once that where i live is no place to raise kids.

and i am still better off than most of my neighbours.

forget it - i live in a glorified slum, and so do most of the rest of us lagosians - we have just managed to shut that fact out

i remember some of my guys in pwc living in surulere - neighbourhood with open gutters, area boys, ashawos and mutant rats and a govt bigwig lived right next to them - i forget his name. it was around kilo hotel.

This is to show how bad our economy has been, despite the fact that we are one of the leading oil producer nation in the world. Our so called leaders should cover their urgly face with shame.

^^I don't buy into this mindless vilification of government officials. There is a time for citizens to take some personal responsibility for their environment. In fact the post below captures that point precisely.

debosky:


It's a case of mental poverty - with all the money, none of them think about putting in waste digesters, proper sewage treatment or garbage disposal. All many want to do is build a big house better than the neighbour's and show off.

Much of festac is most definitely slum. abeg!! lol

Oyb, lol at mutant rats  . nigeria is a real sorry case. i wonder why no one has come up or yet to come up with trash disposal. a very simple and toro thing to do. everywhere is a place for dumping trash n poo terrible waste of a country!

what i said Poo not poo

Inherent here is the danger of a single story as pointed out by Adichie Chimamanda. While it is true a good majority of our cities are in dire need of upgrade and standardisation it will make for a balanced story to point out areas were such standards have been upheld. Or are there not some, even 1? Nevertheless, it takes one who cares about a friend to say to them, ''your mouth dey smell''. While it hurts it simply is the truth. It's a wake up call, we have the resources, we need to start distributing it equitably.

tensor777:

^^I don't buy into this mindless vilification of government officials. There is a time for citizens to take some personal responsibility for their environment. In fact the post below captures that point precisely.

If the govt is not doing that, so what should be the job of the govt? Distributing money amongst themselves?

oyb:

i live in festac

i have no running water - i have  a shallow borehole - water treatment plant in the distant future - so i buy pure water for drinking
light is almost non existent, the past week has been wildly fluctuating voltage
the house i stay in was built in the 70s - during the last rains, water started seeping in from places i cant trace.

there are no more football fields left, so kids play footie in the close
every once in a while, the drains clog, and toilets have issues flushing and can get stoppered with poo

there's your neighbourhood liquor stores right outside the close , where people gather from 5 pm to shak

i have told myself more than once that where i live is no place to raise kids.

and i am still better off than most of my neighbours.

forget it - i live in a glorified slum, and so do most of the rest of us lagosians - we have just managed to shut that fact out

i remember some of my guys in pwc living in surulere - neighbourhood with open gutters, area boys, ashawos  and mutant rats and a govt bigwig lived right next to them - i forget his name. it was around kilo hotel.

And someone on NL comes online to promote IBB for president who is one of the biggest actors in sending us this backwards.

And the person on NL is a moderator with a username in line with the Balkans.

Vavavoom:

Inherent here is the danger of a single story as pointed out by Adichie Chimamanda. While it is true a good majority of our cities are in dire need of upgrade and standardisation[b] it will make for a balanced story to point out areas were such standards have been upheld.[/b] Or are there not some, even 1? Nevertheless, it takes one who cares about a friend to say to them, ''your mouth dey smell''. While it hurts it simply is the truth. It's a wake up call, we have the resources, we need to start distributing it equitably.

Do those areas really exist? Are there areas in our cities where people have  access to ALL the basics?

Here is something for you to think of. I live in what I would term a decent area down in Nigeria. I am able to afford to have solar panels on my roof supplying electricity most all hours of the day. I have a borehole system, and filter in place to supply clean drinking water to my home. Sanitation is taken care of with the help of hired hands who ensure the house is taken care of; grasses mowed, trash picked up etc. My neighbours however do not have what I have. Some have exposed gutters in front of their properties, while others burn trash in their yards still. Those who own generators disturb the rest of us with all that noise, all hours of the day, while others who cannot afford generators are left at the mercy of PHCN. For clean water, definitely not everyone has access to that. One of my neighbours has a borehole in place but cannot drink from it because there are no installed filters. Now from the above, do I live in a slum or not?

tensor777:

^^I don't buy into this mindless vilification of government officials. There is a time for citizens to take some personal responsibility for their environment.

Sagamite:

If the govt is not doing that, so what should be the job of the govt? Distributing money amongst themselves?

Clearly the state governments have overall responsibility for environmental sanitation, but there should also be some personal responsibility especially on the part of the rich, to install environmentally friendly systems in their residences and businesses.

I believe the number is not accurate,
It should be more,
What my eyes have seen, its definitely more than 11million

@Kobojunkie, you live in a slum.

tensor777:

but there should also be some personal responsibility especially on the part of the rich, to install environmentally friendly systems in their residences.

No 1, Because?




No 2, how come you no tell me before that Oyb is one of the rich people so I can pass him my sister?    

Kobojunkie:

Do those areas really exist? Are there areas in our cities where people have access to ALL the basics?

Here is something for you to think of. I live in what I would term a decent area down in Nigeria. I am able to afford to have solar panels on my roof supplying electricity most all hours of the day. I have a borehole system, and filter in place to supply clean drinking water to my home. Sanitation is taken care of with the help of hired hands who ensure the house is taken care of; grasses mowed, trash picked up etc. My neighbours however do not have what I have. Some have exposed gutters in front of their properties, while others burn trash in their yards still. Those who own generators disturb the rest of us with all that noise, all hours of the day, while others who cannot afford generators are left at the mercy of PHCN. For clean water, definitely not everyone has access to that. One of my neighbours has a borehole in place but cannot drink from it because there are no installed filters. Now from the above, do I live in a slum or not?

No you don't. But that is because you have taken some responsbility for your environment But some people here prefer to go on whining.

oyb:

i live in festac

i have no running water - i have a shallow borehole - water treatment plant in the distant future - so i buy pure water for drinking
light is almost non existent, the past week has been wildly fluctuating voltage
the house i stay in was built in the 70s - during the last rains, water started seeping in from places i cant trace.

tensor777:

No you don't. But that is because you have taken some responsbility for your environment But some people here prefer to go on whining.

But I pay taxes to government for the same amenities, so also do my neighbours in this case. Do my neighbors live in a slum? Are you suggesting there can be islands within slums? Are you suggesting it is still up to individual tax payers to provide for themselves the very same amenities they pay government to provide for them?  Also understand that when I open my gate, and leave my "Paradise", I essentially forced to confront the reality of the community I live in.

Kobojunkie:

Do those areas really exist? Are there areas in our cities where people have  access to ALL the basics?

Here is something for you to think of. I live in what I would term a decent area down in Nigeria. I am able to afford to have solar panels on my roof supplying electricity most all hours of the day. I have a borehole system, and filter in place to supply clean drinking water to my home. Sanitation is taken care of with the help of hired hands who ensure the house is taken care of; grasses mowed, trash picked up etc. My neighbours however do not have what I have. Some have exposed gutters in front of their properties, while others burn trash in their yards still. Those who own generators disturb the rest of us with all that noise, all hours of the day, while others who cannot afford generators are left at the mercy of PHCN. For clean water, definitely not everyone has access to that. One of my neighbours has a borehole in place but cannot drink from it because there are no installed filters. Now from the above, do I live in a slum or not?

@ Kobo, It is not impossible for makoko or other slums be revamped into Bishop Avenue or the Hamptons of this world but as much as it pains us that we are backward we have to set realistic targets and endeavour to meet them especially knowing where we are coming from. We can sincerely prioritise our basic needs and on our part as citizen go from complaining and demanding and working with government to meet our needs. At least where you reside is a decent benchmark to begin.

tensor777:

No you don't. But that is because you have taken some responsbility for your environment But some people here prefer to go on whining.

Eko oni baje o!

tensor777:

No you don't. But that is because you have taken some responsbility for your environment But some people here prefer to go on whining.

Please try and be clear on which part of one's environment people should be responsible for and stop whining about.

Please list them.

Kobojunkie:

But I pay taxes to government for the same amenities, so also do my neighbours in this case. Do my neighbors live in a slum? Are you suggesting there can be islands within slums? Are you suggesting it is still up to individual tax payers to provide for themselves the very same amenities they pay government to provide for them?

I understand where you are coming from. But there is still a very expensive leap forward from the  fairly well-to-do residents installing environmentally-friendly systems for power-generation,water supply and water disposal in their homes, to the Lagos State Government installing integrated systems.
If you do insist on that then be prepared for Fashola to send in his bulldozers to the real slum areas before such systems can be set in place. It is that simple.

AjanleKoko:

^^
Agege-Alimosho alone holds between 4 and 5 million people reportedly. That LGA is 88% slum, and 12% villages.
By the time we go down to Bariga, Itire-Lawanson, Ijora-Badiya, Olodi-Apapa, Kirikiri Area, Ajangbadi, Ebute-Metta East and West, Lagos Island/Isale-Eko, the various Jakande Estates around Lagos . . .  well, your guess is as good as mine.

Reasonably okay areas in Lagos are not so many. Ikoyi, VI, Lekki, Yaba, Surulere, Ikeja, Palmgrove/Ilupeu, etc. Most of those areas always have a slum overlay anyway.

Lagos is one huge slum, let's face it.

and u expect us to believe this?

if the whole L.G.A is slum according to you, what do we call the beautiful well laid out estates in those areas you entioned with good roads, pipe borne water and  of course modern houses

i have been to Gemade estate, shagari estate, Gown estate extenstion and if those are slums, then asokoro/maitama shd  be slum

how do we arrive at these definations and wild remarks

a whole L.G. A in Lagos = 88% slum, 12% villages?
wow

Vavavoom:

@ Kobo, It is not impossible for makoko or other slums be revamped into Bishop Avenue or the Hamptons of this world but as much as it pains us that we are backward we have to set realistic targets and endeavour to meet them especially knowing where we are coming from. We can sincerely prioritise our basic needs and on our part as citizen go from complaining and demanding and working with government to meet our needs. At least where you reside is a decent benchmark to begin.

Is there a particular reason why you chose to use the word 'impossible' in your first statement there?

What, according to you, would you consider realistic targets and endeavours? Making demands on government, isn't that what many have come to term 'whining' and 'complaining'?

Where I reside is a decent benchmark? But life beyond my fences is completely the opposite of what I have created for my self within my fence?