Lagos slum clearance
Nine 'disaster zones' in Lagos are to be cleared, with residents relocated to Lekki and Alimosho, thanks to a US$200m loan from the World Bank. The Lagos State Govt has an infamous reputation on slum clearance, thanks mainly to the pr disaster that was the clearance of Maroko fifteen years or so ago. Read Chris Abani's terrific novel Graceland for a fictionalised version of the story. The ex-residents of Maroko live in a new slum, further down the Lekki Expressway. Even if this time round, Lagos State has good intentions, one wonders how the Lekki axis, with only the one road that is already swamped with traffic for hours each day could possibly cope with millions more residents.
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5 comments:
I have never been to Lekki, but I saw this program on Nigeria International, and it’s quite bizarre to note that there is just a single road in and out of the place. Like you rightly said, it will be impossible to cope with the addition of more residents.
I live along the lekki axis. It takes me at least 2hrs everyday to get to work on VI - thats if I don't leave at 5.30am. Evening is a nightmare. And yet, we say we have town planners in these town!
I used to commute between Lekki and VI a few months back, and I must say that it would be a disaster to move people there without first sorting out that 'minor' issue of the road...
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
In Nigeria, every road leads to hell, so I don't expect anything good.
It's funny 3 years ago i used to leave VGC at 7:45 and get to VI at 8 a.m. Now if you leave at 6:30 you'll make 8:30 if you're lucky.
The trick is to leave at 6:10 and you'll make it to VI at 6:35. The downside is you'll be a tad too early
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