CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background of the Study

Lagos is the economic and social “nucleus” of Nigeria and the West African sub region, accounting for 32 per cent of national GDP. It is also one of the fastest-growing cities in the world; by 2015, it is expected to be the globe’s third largest city, according to UN estimates. Over the past decades, the city has had to contend with the challenges that accompanied staggering population growth rates. But since 1999, a consistent leadership has guided a reform process hinged on sustainable urban development. Now, Lagos’s transformation is emerging from its former status as an infamous, decaying metropolis into a modern, attractive, and functional city.

Lagos is a classic example of a modern city, having transformed from a small farming and fishing village in the fifteenth century to a burgeoning megacity in 2010, when its population rose to over 10 million people. Until recently, this megacity4 was generally written about in a negative light and frequently satirized. Today, however, the face of Lagos is