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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? (19488 Views)
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Puvour: 9:42pm On Aug 29, 2016 |
Abagworo:Of course I gave SA, Jo'burg especially, the higher vantage in my first statement. You can check it. But that doesn't mean they are not comparable by any means, it'll always be irrational to say so. Sandton city is probably the best place in Jo'burg. It's really exquisite and beautiful. But Banana Island is luxurious too and doesn't bear much semblance with the rest of Lagos. I really love Capetown and Jo'burg though. Capetown and Jo'burg.
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by OoDVanguard: 9:46pm On Aug 29, 2016 |
KevinDein: Lol. Oh no, he had to play the ethnic card. What a douchebag ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 2 Likes
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by MPSA(m): 12:37am On Aug 30, 2016 |
I think bloemfontein in south africa ![]() ![]() 2 Likes
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Abagworo(m): 12:59am On Aug 30, 2016 |
http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2016/08/lagos-and-the-liveable-cities-index/ Before I begin my thoughts on today’s subject, I want to relate an experience I had a few years ago that will provide a background as to why Lagos will continue to feature prominently on the global worst city index for many years to come. In truth, this is not just about Lagos, I don’t see how any typical Nigerian city will be ranked positively on the livable cities index. Let’s face it, it is never going to happen unless our cities are dismantled and we start urban planning from the scratch. The truth is that we missed developing sustainable cities a long time ago. Some have said the period shortly after the British left, they had left behind an emerging urban city architecture that if it had been well-managed could have launched Lagos and by extension other Nigerian cities on the path of sustainability and livability like other cities in other parts of the world. Sadly, the urban planners and the leaders that emerged after the British left could not build on the structure left behind more than half a century ago. A trip round the country will reveal the sad relics of what might have been. One sees it when one takes a stroll across the Marina in Lagos, in Ibadan around the Agodi Government House; in Owerri around the GRA, Shell Camp Government House and in several colonial cities across Nigeria where systematic urban planning has long given way to the urban chaos of painlessness and dysfunctionality. A few years ago, as I embarked on my first journey to Europe, I marvelled at how a typical European city functioned and the simple indices we take for granted which make a city habitable to its residents. Dusseldorf, a city in the North Rhine of Germany at the time I visited, was ranked on the Economist Intelligent Global Livability Index as the fourth best place to live in the world. Before I left Nigeria, the EIU had just released its survey. I was thus excited to see what made the city one of the best German cities to be ranked the fourth best city on global livability cities survey. This was especially so coming from a chaotic Lagos that Robert Kaplan in 1994 cited as an example of urban apocalypse along with many African cities which are dirty, overpopulated with overflowing debris, drainage and sprawling slum cities such as Makoko in Lagos and Kibera in Kenya. Arriving in Dusseldorf changed my perspective about what a government needs to do to build sustainable cities. On transport, I had observed that Germany as a country had the best and most efficient transport system in the whole of Europe. The city rail system was timely and arrived at the stations promptly. The coaches were spacious and clean. I noticed that behind the effectiveness of the German transport system were the investment, maintenance and discipline of its work force. The train stations, called Hauptbahnhoff, located in different parts of the city, were the hub of the transport network. The underground long distance fast trains connected the satellite cities to the main train stations at the city centre. The fast trains which convey passengers from the suburbs and outskirts of the city like Cologne, Essen and Bremen made sure the city is decongested. Unlike Lagos, where every resident wants to stay in the main city, people who live in the suburbs are sure of taking the speed train which goes underground until it emerges at various train stations until it reaches the main city centre. As I observed the city transport system, my mind flashed back to Lagos and its chaotic public transport bedlam. Indeed, Lagos is several years behind. I had imagined a Lagos where fast speed trains connected its satellite cities like Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry. I had imagined a city where the transport system would be a network of sky trains and underground networks complete with a well-managed road transport. In Dusseldorf, roads are built with the physically challenged in mind. Sidewalks, bicycle and motorcycle lanes all make living in the city of trees such a delight. The indices that make Lagos and many Nigerian cities such a chaotic place to live in were absent. The Clean Air Act was enforced. Unlike Lagos where car emissions pollute the environment, many European cities have moved beyond gas powered cars. Throughout the months I spent, the city was like one mass graveyard because the stillness was pervasive. One did not hear cars honk their horns insanely like they do in Lagos. Melbourne in Australia, for instance, has consistently been ranked as the most livable city in the world since 2001. Apart from having the world’s biggest modern transport system, Melbourne is a city of public parks. Unlike Lagos where the city is so built-up and development has encroached on the green areas, cities like Melbourne, Dusseldorf and Vienna have public parks in every street. Sustainability, which forms the basis for livable city ranking, according to Indigo Development entails that “a sustainable community is one in which improvement in the quality of human life is achieved in harmony with improving and maintaining the health of ecological systems; and where a healthy economy’s industrial base supports the quality of both human and ecological systems.” In many European and other African cities, there are conscious efforts by their governments and city planners to embed sustainable practices in city planning. This is unlike Lagos where development is chaotic and everybody is allowed to put up structures indiscriminately without regard for the structured urban planning that will take into cognisance all the indices of a lovable city. I returned having visited a dozen European capitals feeling that no Nigerian city will achieve such state of sustainability. Cities such as Lagos missed the path about four decades back. But Abuja which should have been a model Nigerian city has turned out to be a disappointment. Who could have thought Abuja satellite towns would grow into slum settlements growing disproportionately around the chaos of its affluent neighbourhoods? How the city planners not thought that such city centres could be connected by trains to the city centre? Yet, Nigeria’s elite class even selfishly carved out the green areas in the city among themselves thus distorting the Abuja Master plan. Abuja is another urban chaos that portrays the stark reality of a nation that cannot plan its cities while its elite delight in the comfort and allure of other cities. Had those cities planners not painstakingly planned their cities, where will our elite run to? Only recently, Kigali emerged as the most beautiful African city that is going the path of sustainability. The city planners are quietly working to build a city of the future. When the the Economic Intelligent Unit released its 2016 global cities liveability survey, I was not surprised that Lagos ranked poorly in the survey. Aside from Melbourne ranked as the best city to live in the world, the other cities that ranked highly on the survey are those where the government invests in urban infrastructure, protects the environment and enforces planning laws. The Nigerian government especially the one in Lagos should have a long term plan for building sustainable cities across the country. Violators of urban planning laws should be punished. 8 Likes |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 1:35am On Aug 30, 2016 |
INFRASTRUCTURE ABUJA: it is very true that Abuja has good drinage network and good road network as well. Driving along the streets of AMAC, one could see this clearly. The street lights too are beautiful. For me, the best infrastructure Abuja has to offer is the 30km Umar Musa Yar'adua highway leading from the city gate close to the stadium down to the airport. I love looking at the properly arranged streetlights. I won't be surprised if the total number of the streetlight is about 10,000. Its is breath taking! But that's about it, the roads and the drinages are what Abuja really has! But when it comes to architecture, Abuja is very poor in this area. The houses are just large; no architectural magnificence anywhere, only few skyscrapers are there in the city. Apart from the CBN, the so-called World Trade Centre, Transcorp Hilton, and a few other houses, Abuja lacks very tall buildings! This means it has no skyline! Lagos on the other hand, has one of the best known skylines in the whole of Africa, rivaled only by J'bourg and Cairo. Although, some of its infrastructures especially the Fed govt owned ones, are failing, it still boast of the best highway in the country. Comparing the Umar Musa Yar'adua exp way to the Lekki-Epe exp way, you will see that Lekki-epe exp way comes top. The Yaradua exp way is very large as it has up to 12lanes on it. Lekki-epe is relatively smaller but has way more services available on it. There is 24hrs ambulance service, continuous security patrol by the police etc. These are things you don't have on the Yar'adua way. While in Abuja, only AMAC can boast of good roads and drinages, in Lagos, good roads cannot only be found on the island, the state govt continues to build more inner roads. The inner streets in the suburb are be paved and not just that, good drinage systems are being put in place too. Street lights are lighting up every where so that crime rates are reduced in those places. The drinages are also being covered to make sure rubbish is not dumped into it. This is certainly not one whing you can say about Abuja suburbs. On the najor roads, there are proper bus stops with good seats so that you don't have to stand waiting for a bus. This creates more room for orderliness. The Ikorodu-TBS BRT stations are a very good example. 2 Likes |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 9:08am On Aug 30, 2016 |
Coldplay89: can you analyse Nairobi with those criteria i mentioned at the start of the thread? |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by arushiuga(m): 9:13am On Aug 30, 2016 |
craziebone:You people always find ways to praise that decomposing rat city called lagos. There is no way lagos can surpass abuja in development. Is it roads, traffic lights which doesn't exist in Lagos, housing, or even drainage system aghhh. Abuja is light years ahead of lagos. Blame your governors for not using the money they generate to transform lagos 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by arushiuga(m): 9:18am On Aug 30, 2016 |
Abagworo:The blame should go to the government for not planning for the future. At times i ask my self what is wrong with these leaders. They travel around the world without replicating what they saw in those foreign countries in nigeria 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 9:33am On Aug 30, 2016 |
arushiuga: the fact remains that Lagos has more of its streets lit up at night than Abuja has. Apart from AMAC, what other part of Abuja is properly lit up? In Lagos, even the inner streets, i mean the regular streets you find in the suburb, are being lit up by the day. More of those streets are being paved and their drinages are being covered up too. This means that apart from the some-what poor houses in the suburb, which are themselves very old, the area is being given a modern look. Does the same thing happen in Abuja suburb? Anyone who resides in Lagos can attest to this. 2 Likes |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Puvour: 10:22am On Aug 30, 2016 |
arushiuga:Traffic lights are not very useful in cities or parts of a city where there is huge traffic. Instead, such places work towards the continuous flow of traffic by construction of complicated highways and bridges, the types you only find more in Lagos than Abuja. |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by arushiuga(m): 10:54am On Aug 30, 2016 |
craziebone:Is streets lights the standard you use in measuring lagos development. When was the last time lagos taps were running. Why is lagos experiencing flooding. Let's admit the truth apart from ikoyi banana island where else in Lagos can match abuja in terms of development. Don't mention those flooded areas like vi vgc 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by freshdude99(m): 11:26am On Aug 30, 2016 |
nkwachiabel:"kubwa, where u have to go outside and fetch water..." You must be a dounce for stereotyping kubwa in a such a manner. Maybe ur finance could only get u a face me I face u apartment which ofcuz is in the village settlement of Kubwa. Have it in my that Abuja precisely Kubwa is one satellite town with the best pipe borne water network because of its topography and proximity to lower usman dam in bwari. So bro stop talking trash. Both cities have their various strength and weakness but I will choose Abuja any day bcz it has more economic future and political as well as ethno-religious tolerance 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 12:14pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
arushiuga: the part of Abuja i believe you are refering to is the AMAC, which i mentioned before. The Island is to Lagos as AMAC is to Abuja. I am leaving the highbrow areas to the suburbs; apart from AMAC, the next best place in Abuja is Gwagwalada. And in Gwagwalada, how many of the homes have taps running in it? During the dry season, they use mai ruwa to get their water. In Lagos, and in an area the calibre of Gwagwalada, you don't see people putting pails on their heads to fetch water anymore, as many have boreholes in their houses. Wether an infrastrucure is provided by the govt or not, infrastructure is infrastructure. A place has more of its streets lit up (which means more security) and you say that's not better development? A place has more of its people not relying on mai ruwa (water vendors) and you say it is not development? 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 12:16pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
Puvour: you are definitely talking about the interchange. |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 12:18pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
freshdude99: isn't it in the same Kubwa that a pastor was murdered for preaching? 2 Likes |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Nobody: 12:23pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
I.m.o, Abuja is just as good as Lagos infrasctructure wise. It's really hard to say one is better. It all depends on your lifestyle and the kind of environment you like. Abuja is much more mellow and less chaotic compared to Lagos Some people like that Lagos "noise and activity", some prefer that Abuja tranquility 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 1:30pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
OoDVanguard:U havent lived in Nairobi, that is very evident in your claim that the skyline is only concentrated in the CBD. U surely arent aware of the other Nairobi Business districts : The Upper Hill District http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=917224&page=68 Westlands District http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=916842&page=31 Hurlingham District http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=951744&page=11 Parklands District http://www.tropicairkenya.com/wp-content/uploads/nairobi-helicopter-1.jpg Nairobi CBD http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=515152&page=266 |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 1:38pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
craziebone: This thread is about Abuja and Lagos, but u can come to this other thread where all those issues regarding Nairobi have been tackled https://www.nairaland.com/51356/nairobi-photos-kenya-beautiful-east/165 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 1:52pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
Now u see OoDVanguard, Nairobi is closer than Lagos to Joburg in terms of development. Even the real estate there is booming so much so that it is even ranked together with the likes of Joburg http://venturesafrica.com/five-african-countries-that-offer-the-greatest-investment-opportunities-in-real-estate/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_estate_in_Kenya |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by OoDVanguard: 2:22pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
Coldplay89: Dude, don't get it twisted or misunderstand me. I respect and admire Nairobi skyline and will doff my hat to the city anyday! My point was that the majority of the skyscrapers that dot its landscape are for the most part concentrated in the Nairobi CBD and those skyscrapercity pictures actually buttress that point. And I still stand by what I said about the difference in the quality and architecture of private estates and properties in Lag compared to Nairobi. Below are pictures of the skyscraper cluster distributions of Joburg, Nairobi, and Lagos (Lagos has many other clusters of course. 1. Joburg 2. Nairobi 3. Lagos 2 Likes
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by OoDVanguard: 2:43pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
Coldplay89: Lol. Bro, I'm talking about the quality and architecture of the houses you find in both cities. I know what I'm saying. But then again perhaps we have different tastes in that respect. ![]() 1,2 - Lagos (Grenadine Homes and Nicon Town estate, Lagos) 3,4 - Nairobi (Karen and Kisembe estate, Karen, Nairobi) 1 Like
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by MPSA(m): 5:48pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
According to me, Johannesburg is too big for this cities, nairobi, abuja and lagos, I think it will be better if we compare this three cities(abuja,nairobi and lagos) with any SA cities except Johannesburg, Cape town and Durban, Now I choose Pretoria, See the attached pictures of Pretoria ![]()
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 6:12pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
OoDVanguard: I honestlyxdont understand your point. There are many more skyscrapers located in the other commercial districts whose photo links I have provided above, not all skyscrapers are located within the Nairobi CBD. In fact, did u know that he 5 of the tallest buildings in Kenya are located in the Upper Hill District but not in the CBD? Most new buildings are being constructed in the Upper Hill and Westlands Districts. The newest was opened about 3 months ago, its pic below (and why cant people just copy-paste....I hate this attaching files nonsense!) And speaking of the residential estates....boy,I think we are being disrespectful to the OP who wanted this to be about Abj vs Lagos. But I will yield to your request to post just a few.......
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 6:19pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 6:19pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
OoDVanguard: Nairobi Suburbs
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 6:32pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
OoDVanguard: More Nairobi Estates https://www.google.com/search?q=nairobi+estates&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbo9ff1enOAhUrJ8AKHapwCHcQ_AUICSgC&biw=1152&bih=731
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by Coldplay89(m): 6:48pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
More Nairobi Suburbs, OoDVanguard
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by koniyah: 7:05pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
man those photos of nairobi are old, ill post updated versions. 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by OoDVanguard: 7:11pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
Coldplay89: Lol. Guy, Like you said we don already highjack this thread from its original theme so I would just say let's agree to disagree. I have more than enough pictorial references as well to buttress my point but I doubt that'll change your position anyway. ![]() |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by koniyah: 7:14pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
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Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by MPSA(m): 7:22pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
Nairobi is beautiful, but it can't be compared to big cities in south africa, small places also developed like nairobi in SA ![]() 1 Like |
Re: Lagos And Abuja, Which Is A Better City? by kendrick9(m): 7:24pm On Aug 30, 2016 |
anyone who makes the mistake of comparing lagos with jo'burg,cape town or cairo is an idiot...thats the simple truth. A city where there is no law and order,filled with agberos and so many lawless miscreants,no good water supply,bad roads,lack of power etc, yet a mofo has d audacity to place it in the same sentence as Jo'burg... Wtf!!! I mean i will take the worst city in SA to any nigerian slum...What da hell 2 Likes 1 Share |
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