FACTORS FOR AND PROBLEMS FACING LAGOS CITY IN NIGERIA

Lagos is the biggest city in Nigeria and the second biggest in Africa. It is a major port, commercial as well as industrial city. It`s situated on a lagoon at the coast of west Africa. It has an island site comprising of several islands like Lagos, Victoria, Iddo, Ikoy and many others.

The site on the lagoon made it sheltered for the strong waves and tidal currents of the Atlantic ocean. Lagos was extensively used for slave trade because of its easily defendable position. In 1861, the British occupied the site and started commercial as well as trading activities.

The original site was mainly occupied by the Yoruba however with the expansion of the modern commercial activities it is now a meeting port comprising of several races and tribes from all over Nigeria.

For a long time, Lagos was the capital city of Nigeria however a new capital was set up at Abuja so as to decongest Lagos which was the major port and major commercial center.

However, it is only the administrative functions that were taken over by Abuja as Lagos remains the major port and commercial center of Nigeria.

FACTORS FOR THE GROWTH OF LAGOS.

The equal defendable position of Laos led to its growth and development.

Its location on a lagoon as well as on the island site made it easily defendable from aggressors and that is why trading activities thrived in the area.

The British also occupied the same area getting it from the Portuguese who had also realized its defendable position. It is the British who gave Lagos the initial lay out and planning of a modern port city.

The early European settlement at Lagos.

When the British came to Lagos most of them settled on the eastern side of the Ikoy island and by 1898, the number had grow to over 200 residences.

These provided the capital and skills for the initial layout of Lagos making it to become a major trading and commercial center as well as a port.
The strategic location of Lagos.

The port city is situated in the south west of Nigeria along the coastal lagoon which protects it from strong winds and tidal waves o the Atlantic ocean.

This location also makes the port to handle cargo from various parts of the world for example west Africa, North and south America as well as from the far east due to the major shipping lanes across the Atlantic from such areas.

Such increased cargo has led to more revenue and therefore leading to growth and development of the port.

The different transport and communication facilities at Lagos.

Lagos is well connected to other parts of Nigeria via a network of roads and railway lines for example from Lagos to Abuja, Ibadan, Cano, Enugu, Benin city and other parts of the country.

In addition, the port is well linked internationally via the Atlantic ocean through the numerous shipping lens as well as air transport at Lagos international airport. Such an efficient transport has not only widened the ports hinterland but also made cargo handling highly efficient.

The presence of a rich and wider hinterland.

The port serves the whole of Nigeria which is a very wide hinterland comprising of agricultural produce for example rubber, cocoa, palm oil coffee and many others. Agricultural products together with various minerals like oil, natural gas, iron ore and many others.

In addition the port also serves neighboring countries of Benin in the west and Niger in the north. Such a very wide and productive hinterland has led to more cargo being handled thus more revenue for the ports growth and development.

The presence of deep waters.

The deep waters of the Atlantic have favored the anchoring of large ocean growing vessels leading to more cargo being handled by the port.

At first the harbor area was no that deep but due to the dredging, this depth was increased and therefore larger ocean growing vessels can now anchor at the port.

The favorable climatic condition experienced at Lagos.

Lagos lies in the equatorial belt with hot temperatures and heavy rainfall meaning that is ice free throughout the year and the heavy rainfall ha resulted in the deep waters enabling anchoring of large ocean growing conditions.

The ice free conditions have made the shipping activities to go on uninterrupted throughout the year.

The presence of a low tidal range.

The difference between the high and low tidal is small and negligible and therefore shipping activities are not interrupted by the change in time.

This therefore allows anchoring of large growing ocean vessels throughout the year leading to more revenue for the ports growth and development.

The rapid industrial development of Lagos.

Many industries have been setup in the various industrial areas around the port for example at Apapa, Ikeja, Illupeju, Ijora-Igima. Such industrial centers with iron and steel, oil refineries, chemical and petro-chemical textiles gave increased the volumes of cargo being handled by the port through the regular import and exports leading to growth and expansion of the port.

Rapid population increase at Lagos.

This rapid population increase resulted n increased demand for certain facilities and services for example residential, health, recreation and others for example in 1963, Lagos had a population of 1.4 million people.

The provision of such facilities led to the horizontal expansion and growth of the port city.

The supportive government policy of Nigeria.

The government financed the construction and maintenance of the port as well as the expansion of the port.

Government has also maintained stability together with the physical planning of the area and town. All this has aided Lagos growth and development.

The presence of power also favored the growth and development.

The port has various sources of power the most important and common being HEP generated from the Kianji power station. Thermal power is also used together with the natural gas.

Such power is used to run the various port facilities and services like electronic weighing systems, loading and off loading cranes and
the marine navigation riders and many others together with the computerization of the port activities.

This power has also attracted plenty of industries thus leading to the growth and development of the port.

The gentle relief of the area.

This gentle relief of the area made it easy to construct various port facilities and in addition favored the setting up of the various road and railway lines to connect the port to various inland towns of Nigeria like Cano, Abuja, Ibadan, Enugu and many others.

This therefore widened the ports hinterland making it draw more cargo as thus increased revenue of the ports growth and development.

The presence of the hard basement rocks in the Lagos area.

The area where the port is located had hard basement rocks which a firm foundation for setting up the port and pot facilities like warehouses, grain elevators, underground oi bunkers, extensive docking areas and so many other facilities.

Availability of skilled labour also led to the development of Lagos.

Skilled labour was at first provided by the ex-patriates from Britain but today local Nigerians have acquired the necessary skills and techniques in port construction and development.

The use of modern technology for example loading and off loading cranes, a policy of containerization, computerized port facilities and services together with the use of modern marine riders so as to direct incoming and outgoing vessels.

The political stability of Nigeria.

Nigeria has been relatively politically stable despite the numerous coups as well as the present terror attacks.

This stability especially in the port area crated a conducive atmosphere for shipping activities together with industrial activities and also assured the port users of security of both life and property making many people making Lagos as their port and shipment and to enhance its growth and development.

A long period of operation.

This long period of operation has made the Nigerians acquire plenty of skills and experience as far as cargo handling is concerned.

This therefore has led to efficient cargo handling and thus attracting more people to the port.

Continuous research in the port activities.

Research is carried out and the needs of various shipping companies infrastructural needs of the port areas as well as the best ways of cargo handling so as to minimize the delays and wastage.

This therefore has made the port to become highly efficient and thus attract more people to the area.

PROBLEMS FACED BY LAGOS

Inadequate land due to the island site and much of the land being used.
Inadequate land due to the ever increasing population leading to slum development.
Congestion I the public places like markets, public parks and recreation facilities.
Traffic especially during the rush hours leading to delays and time wastage. Constant silting up of harbor areas which requires regular dredging and this is costly as well a inconveniencing.
Inadequate communication with the hinterland due to the island which limits the construction of the railway lines.
The city has administrative problems as it is too large to be administered effectively and this is compounded by the fact that it is a coastal city.
Inadequate social services for example HEP, fresh water supplies, medical facilities and many others due to ever increasing population.
Pollution that is air, water due to high population and high rates of industrialization.
High crime rates due to high levels of unemployment and high cost of living.
Urban terrorism by Bokohram and other terrorist groups.