SMVSA

THE VENICE OF AFRICA

 The floating village
of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria, is
inhabited by people who not
only live on water, but also
also depend on it for their
livelihood.
The slum which was initially just a place to fish has grown to be the home for
generations of fishermen from neighboring countries.
 Makoko is a slum
community living in
wooden buildings on
stilts over the water
of Lagos Lagoon in
Nigeria, and canoes
are the residents’
primary means of
transportation. 

A headcount conducted in
2007 recorded a population of
over 85 000, but government
An untapped community officials acknowledged that
the settlement has witnessed
a huge growth in population 
 Referred to as the
‘Poor Man’s Venice’
(Fortin 2012),
Makoko is a
sprawling
community lying
below sea level.

Because of its location

on the shoreline and
flooding, much of the
settlement rests on
constructed stilts on
the Lagos Lagoon.
Seeking to solve one of these pressing needs, Adeyemi built a low-cost
school with support from the United Nations and Heinrich Boll
Foundation. With the capacity to serve 100 school children, the floating
school has since become an icon of urbanization in one of the world’s
fastest growing megacities.
Challenging Conditions in the slums, such as Makoko
In the slum people have to live with many problems;
1. Lack of sanitation is the MAJOR ISSUE – there are communal toilets, but they need to be
shared by around 15 households, and sewage, kitchen residues and all kinds of materials end up
in the water below their homes.
2. The residents are very vulnerable to sea level change and flooding, many of the buildings are
actually in the lagoon!
3. Lack of access to clean water – there are few water pipes in the slum and those that exist
only have the supply switched on for 2 hours a day by the city authorities.  This means people
have to queue for water and have LIMITED SUPPLY.
4. Lack of legal rights - The people have not planned this settlement and only 7% have legal
rights to the land.  In addition, the slum houses have little in the way of security.
5.  POOR HEALTH – life expectancies in the squatter settlements are low because of these
conditions, poor quality water, mosquitoes which thrive in nearby lagoons and dangerous jobs
all serve to impact on people’s health. Currently, malaria, respiratory diseases and malnutrition
are endemic problems in Makoko.
6. UNEMPLOYMENT and POOR QUALITY WORK.