lagos - The African Mirror

Jan

2023

Nigeria’s new Lekki port has doubled cargo capacity, but must not repeat previous failures

THREE-QUARTERS of the world is covered by water and up to 90% of world trade is seaborne. Seaports and shipping are critical to the conduct of global trade. Africa has relatively few natural harbours that offer shelter and are deep enough to take big vessels. Along the Atlantic coastline of West Africa, for instance, natural harbours exist only at Freetown and Lagos. Consequently, artificial ports have been carved out of lagoon and river ports, which dot the coastline from Morocco to South Africa. Considerable capital and engineering know-how have been applied since the late nineteenth century to make African ports…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

Lagos gets a new elevated rail network

AFRICITIES

BIRD STORY AGENCY THE first phase of a light rail system that is set to transform commuting in Nigeria's economic capital, has been commissioned. The Blue Line project in Lagos is a 27-kilometre rail system that upon completion is expected to carry more than 500,000 passengers. The first phase traverses five stations covering a distance of 13 kilometres and has the capacity to move 250,000 passengers daily. The state government said that it had taken delivery of three sets of wagons that will be used forpassenger operations. “Over the last two decades, that masterplan has been faithfully implemented by successive…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Bodies of all 17 on board recovered after Lagos boat accident

NEWS

SEVENTEEN bodies have been recovered in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos after a boat accident that led to a frantic search for passengers, the inland waterways agency said. The commuter boat set sail on Friday evening, against rules that bar night movement, the Lagos State Waterways Authority said late on Sunday. The tide carried the vessel towards a barge, causing it to capsize, it said. Thirteen bodies were found on Sunday, adding to the four recovered the previous day. The agency had said the boat had been carrying 16 passengers, including children, and the captain.Advertisement · Scroll to continue Overcrowding and…

Jun

2022

By The African Mirror

Africa’s smaller cities are usually overlooked: they shouldn’t be

AFRICITIES

OFTEN when one thinks or writes about urbanisation in Africa, mega-cities or primary cities like Lagos, Nairobi, Addis Ababa or Kampala, come to mind. Little, however, is written about places like Gabés in Tunisia, Touba-Mbacké in Senegal, or Ibadan in Nigeria. Yet these are just three of an estimated 885 secondary, or intermediary, cities in Africa that already account for over 40% of the continent’s urban population. Their share is very likely to grow over time. Author ASTRID R.N. HAAS, Fellow, Infrastructure Institute, School of Cities, University of Toronto These cities have a critical role to play in Africa’s overall…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

U.S. to build $537 million consulate in Nigeria’s megacity

NEWS

THE United States will build a $537 million consulate in the Nigerian megacity Lagos, the country's commercial capital, as Washington strengthens economic and diplomatic relations with Africa's most populous country. The U.S. is among the largest foreign investors and donors in Nigeria with annual trade between the two countries at over $10 billion, according to the State Department. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Leonard said the new consulate, to be built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean, would take five years to complete. Like most countries, the U.S. has an embassy in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and a consulate…

Mar

2022

By The African Mirror

The challenges of governing Lagos, the city that keeps growing

AFRICITIES

FROM its historical origins as a fishing village and the site of a pepper farm, to today’s bustling metropolis, Lagos has evolved into a complex agglomeration of people, settlements and vested interests. Authors OLA UDUKU, Professor, University of Liverpool TAIBAT LAWANSON, Professor, University of Lagos As the economic powerhouse of Nigeria and West Africa, Lagos is projected to become the most populous city in Africa within the next 50 years. Reaching a population of 100 million from 15 million today. If recent waves of migration are anything to go by –- from those seeking economic opportunities or escaping the climate…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria to have its own ‘The Real Housewives’ reality series

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE ever-so-popular award-winning reality television series is making its way to the Nigerian capital for a new instalment of ‘The Real Housewives of Lagos’. Distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal Studio Group, The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOL) will be the first Nigerian instalment of the franchise, making it the third adaptation in Africa after The Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD) and The Real Housewives of Johannesburg (RHOJ). “We’ve seen audiences across Africa devour The Real Housewives of Johannesburg and The Real Housewives of Durban,” says Candice Fangueiro, Showmax’s head of content. The cast…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Effects of COVID-19 on millions of Nigerians

COVID-19

LIBBY GEORGE and ESTELLE SHIRBON SHEHU Ismaila Gbadebo has worked as a barber for two decades. The money he made at his rented stall in a bustling suburb of Nigeria's megacity, Lagos, used to be plenty for him to pay bills and set aside some savings. Now, he relies on donated food and sometimes skips meals to feed his family. Since COVID-19 hit Africa's most populous nation and biggest economy, prices for some staples such as eggs, onions and palm oil, have risen by 30% or more. Fewer people can afford a haircut, and those who can are demanding discounts…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

No-stress scripture: Nigerian Christians relish Pidgin Bible

RELIGION

ANGELA UKOMADU AT the Heavenly Citizen's Church in Lagos, the pastor and congregation have adopted a new tool to help them understand Christian scripture: the first Bible translated into Nigerian pidgin. Sometimes called pidgin English, the language is widely used and understood across regions and ethnic groups in the nation of 200 million people, although most books and newspapers on sale in Nigeria are in English. "Most people here, they are not properly schooled, you know, and so we do more pidgin English here," said pastor Ben Akpevwe, who has been using the Pidgin Bible during services at his church…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

Mass demolitions, evictions as Nigeria continues housing push

AFRICITIES

KELECHUKWU IRUOMA DEMOLA Adeleye and his family were sleeping in their three-bedroom bungalow when they were awoken by the sound of bulldozers demolishing the homes around them. In February a task force sent by Lagos state's New Towns Development Authority (NTDA) started bulldozing all the structures in the coastal neighbourhood of Oke-Egan and evicting the occupants. "I am pained and depressed," Adeleye, 38, said with tears in his eyes. "Look at where I have been sleeping with my wife and four children," he added, pointing to a half-finished building behind his welding workshop where his family has been staying since…