Lagos: Africa's New York City

11 December 2007 - 12:00pm

This video from Current profiles Lagos, Nigeria, the world's fastest growing megacity.

Only 300,000 people lived in Lagos in 1950, but now the United Nations number it amongst the world's megacities -- those with populations above 10 million.

The mass rural-to-urban migration has flooded the city with squatter camps and slums. But the low availability of jobs has created a bustling and chaotic informal economy.

Unregulated housing, poor access to sanitation, traffic, and overpopulation are some of the major problems facing this rapidly changing African metropolis.

Full Story: Lagos la Vida Loca
Source: Current, November 8, 2007
Bookmark and Share
Even if the report overestimates the costs by a factor of two and underestimates the tax-benefit by a similar amount, the conclusion would be pretty much the same: destination resorts cost local government and taxpayers money.