The City of Lagos and Sustainable Development

CHUKWUMAOBI ONUOHA

Sustainable Development 101Sustainable development is defined as the process of meeting human development goals today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

It is generally broken into the following: Environmental, Social, and Economic.

World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Our Common Future (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987).

Source: www.conceptdraw.com/examples/venn-diagram-model-of-sustainable-development

Welcome to LagosLagos city is located in the Nigerian state of Lagos. It is the largest city in Africa and is currently the economic hub of Nigeria. It is estimated that Lagos contributes >70% of Nigeria’s industries.

Size - 1200KM2

Population - Over 16 millionPredominant Languages - English, Yoruba, and Pidgin EnglishNotable landmarks - Longest bridge in West Africa (3rd mainland bridge), National Arts Theater, etc.

Photo Credit: http://house.jumia.com.ng

What is Lagos known for?

Lagos – The Good Decent beaches. Ease of securing employment relative to other

cities in West Africa and Nigeria. Vibrant nightlife. Affluent neighborhoods. Relatively high options of recreational activities. Health competition between businesses leading

to good customer service. Safe environment for expatriates.

Photo Credit: www. pulse.ng

Lagos – The Bad, and Ugly High crime rate versus other mega

cities in the world.

Traffic jams, uncomfortable public transport system, and poor road networks.

Significantly high number of beggars and street children.

Slums and shanties in close proximity to affluent neighborhoods.

Photo Credit: www.bellanaija.com

Photo Credit: www. pmnewsnigeria.com Photo Credit: www.olisa.tv

Photo Credit: www. economist.com

FOUR THINGS LAGOS IS DOING TODAY THAT WILL JEOPARDIZE TOMORROW!

#1 - Carbon EmissionAccording to WHO, data for Nigeria included in the Little Green Data Book 2015, 94% of the population of Lagos is exposed to air pollution levels that exceed WHO guidelines

Epileptic electricity supply in Nigeria has led to an increased reliance on petrol/diesel powered generators and these contribute significantly to carbon emission.

Further, Lagos has a remarkable concentration of vehicles within a relatively small geographical location.

Finally, uncontrolled waste incineration, though illegal, still happens within the city.

Considering all mentioned above, and the predicted future population growth in this mega city, scholars believe Lagos will eventually become one of the most polluted cities in the world if nothing is done today.

Komolafe, A.A., Adegboyega, S.A.A., Anifowose, A.Y., Akinluyi, F.O. and Awoniran, D.R., 2014. Air pollution and climate change in Lagos, Nigeria: needs for proactive approaches to risk management and adaptation. American Journal of Environmental Sciences, 10(4), p.412.

Lagos-owned Public Bus (BRT)Photo Credit: www.nairaland.com

DEFORESTATION is defined as the destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses.

Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment including the death of animals due to the loss of habitat (trees), climate change, and disruption of water cycle.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture estimates that Lagos has only 0.2% forest coverage.

Unfortunately, the rate of real-estate development in the city is significantly ahead of the rate of efforts to curb deforestation.

#2 - Deforestation

Gulf Resort Construction in Lagos

Compared to other Nigerian cities, Lagos has a good waste management system that caters to its large population. It is estimated that the city’s waste management agency evaluates over 12 tons of waste every day.

The government agency responsible for waste management – LAWMA – is saddled with the responsibility of segmenting was after collection. This not only results in time wastage, it significantly increases the amount of waste that will not be recycled due to contamination thereby contributing to the percentage going to landfill and contributing to water pollution.

#3 – Waste Management

Lagos Central Waste Collection Site, OjotaPhoto Credit: http://retechengineering.com

Lagos has a significant number of street children. Unfortunately, there’s no statistics to show the exact number.

According to Edewor (2014), poverty, unemployment, and polygyny are major contributors to the increasing number of street children in Lagos.

The United Nation in several reports associates the increase in crime rate with the increase in the number of uneducated, street children.

#4 – Uneducated Street Children

Lagos Central Waste Collection Site, OjotaPhoto Credit: http://retechengineering.com

Edewor, Patrick A. "Homeless Children and Youths in Lagos, Nigeria: Their Characteristics, Street Life and Sexual Behaviour." Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5.1 (2014): 537.

EASY-TO-EXECUTE SOLUTIONS

Carbon Emission

Deforestation

Waste Management

Street Children

Implement afforestation/reforestation

programs

Leverage taxation and performance incentives to

drive improvements

Implement waste segmentation policies/laws

Create affordable/free education for street children

PROBLEM SOLUTION

Create laws that protect against the illegal felling of trees and dedicate a government agency to implement these laws. Laws that require real estate developers to plant trees should be created and enforced.

Discourage the use of firewood as a source of energy for cooking.

Provide incentive to encourage private afforestation activities. This can also serve as a source of employment.

Implement Afforestation/Reforestation Programs

Photo Credit: http://wallpapercave.comAlamu, Lateef O., and B. O. Agbeja. "Deforestation and endangered indigenous tree species in South-West Nigeria." Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv 3.7 (2011): 291-297.

Implement waste segmentation policies/laws

Photo Credit: www.washroomhygiene.co.uk

Waste management best practices (BPs) have been created by several renowned organizations including the United Nations. These BPs contain procedures to handle hazardous waste, turn waste into energy, etc. However, a key step to improving any waste management system is being able to segment the different types of waste materials.

Today, waste in Lagos is collected without any form of segmentation. Segmentation is done by scavengers at the landfill site. Even though the government has made commendable effort to recycle waste, recyclable material is lost due to contamination. For instance, hazardous waste materials such as batteries end up contaminating reusable items.

A key step towards sustainability will be to implement policies and laws that will require residents of Lagos to segment waste before disposable.

Since the key drivers of the recent increase of street children are multiple, multiple approaches of to be taken to address this developmental challenge. Some of the approaches are summed up below. Enforce mandatory primary and secondary education for all residents.

Enforce existing federal child labor laws.

Provide support for parents who can prove that they cannot afford to educate their children. This support can include loans or free education for such children.

Prosecute parents who deny their children primary or secondary education.

Educate parents on the effects of polygyny.

Affordable/Free Education for Street Children

Photo Credit: https://marquetteeducator.files.wordpress.comEdewor, Patrick A. "Homeless Children and Youths in Lagos, Nigeria: Their Characteristics, Street Life and Sexual Behaviour." Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5.1 (2014): 537.

Leverage taxation and performance incentives to drive improvements

For all the problems listed, the carrot and stick approach can be used to drive improvements.

For instance, heavy fines for illegal felling of trees and incentives for planting trees can be used to solve the current deforestation problem.

Residents can be offered tax breaks if they abide by waste segmentation policies.

Finally, the government can incentivize residents to purchase cars with low emission ratings. These incentive can be in form of lower duty rates or cheap toll fees.

Photo Credit: https://debtordaddy.com

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