Why is lagos overpopulated

Lagos Finance Commissioner Rotimi Oyekan says the land owners, mostly market vendors, have been incorporated into development plans. It's not just for the rich.

It is also for the not so rich or the underprivileged. They have been temporarily relocated to another part of the city. He says the government has promised they will have shops in the new building, collect rent from the tenants, and own the developed property in 30 years. But he says the government also promised to provide a place to sell their goods during the transition, but that has not happened and they are struggling to survive.

Finance Commissioner Oyekan says the government will fulfill its promises. More than 50 people can share a bathroom, sink and living space. Youth unemployment in urban areas is around 50 percent. This has fueled an increase in crime which is rampant in many cities.

This high level of youth unemployment has also helped fuel the rise of militant groups like Boko Haram. The Nigerian government has made some effort to address the problem, but to no avail.

It has made contraceptives free but many still do not have access to them and, in a religious society like Nigeria, their use is often frowned upon. How fast Lagos is growing? Related Topics Use the images below to explore related GeoTopics.

Location of Lagos. Lagos Home. Causes of population growth in Lagos. Please Support Internet Geography If you've found the resources on this site useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. Top Posts and Pages Home. Log In. What are the impacts of migration? Geography Case Studies. Typhoon Haiyan Case Study. What factors affect population density and distribution? How does flooding affect humans and the environment? There are some places in Africa where a new industrial revolution is seen as the key to putting the idle youth to work and cashing in on a growing population.

There are beautiful new six-lane highways, an electric railway line to the ocean, and vast estates of social housing are being built with government-run mortgage schemes to get the poor on the housing ladder.

And Nigeria knows massive investment in infrastructure is the answer to a growing economy and to get a congested city moving. The population is even outgrowing the supply of electricity. Generators which fill the gaps are a constant background soundtrack to the city. She believes by just improving transport links between residential suburbs and downtown, the government is missing the point — new satellite cities have to be planned and built so people can work near their homes and avoid commuting.

So what does Steve Ayorinde, the Lagos Governor and State spokesman, think the city will look like in 50 years? The city that won't stop growing How can Lagos cope with its spiralling population?

The lagoon metropolis. Fishing and sand-dredging boats drift to work, heading deep into the lagoon. The bulldozers. Ebute Ilaje is a place that has lived off sand-dredging for decades.

The towers. Lagos is crowded, chaotic, and crumbling. The tall men, wrapped in white, jump and crouch, sweeping their long sticks at the crowd. Now they have 11 modern apartments to move into — and 37 extra new homes for their neighbours.

The city needs to be rebuilt without moving whole communities out. But those with the money to invest are looking for better returns elsewhere. Escaping the village.