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UIC - Location & Importance of Lagos

4.3 Lagos, Nigeria – a case study of a major city in a LIC or NEE

4.3.1   The location and importance of the city, both nationally and internationally
 

Key words
Economic opportunities
- Chances for people to improve their standard of living through employment.
Formal economy - This refers to the type of employment where people work to receive a regular wage and are assured certain rights e.g. paid holidays, sickness leave. Wages are taxed.
Informal economy  - This type of employment comprises work done without the official knowledge of the government and therefore without paying taxes. It is common in many LICs.
Social opportunities - Chances for people to improve their quality of life, for instance access to education and health care.
Squatter settlement - An area of poor-quality housing, lacking in amenities such as water supply, sewerage and electricity, which often develops spontaneously and illegally in a city in an LIC.

Lagos is one of the world’s major cities and is the most populous city in Africa, ahead of Cairo. Lagos City in Lagos State is Nigeria’s largest city and its economic capital, it is located in the south west of Nigeria alongside the Atlantic Ocean. According to a 2014 report by the National Population Commission of Nigeria Lagos is the 7th fastest growing city in the world, with a population of 21 million. Lagos is a MEGACITY, with a population of over double the required 10 million people!

Unlike other states dependent on oil revenues Lagos City economy is diversified to manufacturing, transport, construction, service, wholesale, and retail sectors.
Lagos is one of the most important cities in Nigeria and indeed in Africa, both economically and culturally. 
Its Geographic location (see map) is very significant, as it is on the Atlantic coastline of Nigeria allowing for excellent trade routes.  It also has a major airport and is connected to other Nigerian cities via railway and road links.
Lagos location map

Timeline of development;

Lagos_Timeline
The physical Geography of Lagos is dominated by its system of islands, sandbars, and lagoons. The islands are connected by bridges and the land is low-lying.
Lagos’s expansion took off during the oil boom in the 1970s and this industry is still key to Lagos and Nigeria’s economic growth.

There are many industries in Lagos;
1. Lagos Islands southwest shore has commerce, finance, administration, and education.
2. Manufacturing industries in Lagos include automobile and radio assembly, food and beverage processing, metal works, and the production of paints and soap.
3. There are also textile, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
4. A fishing industry also exists.
5. A major port area exists at Apapa

The IMPORTANCE of Lagos
Lagos state covers only 0.4% of the Nigeria’s land yet is highly important to the country.  Lagos;
1. Had a GDP of over $136 billion in 2017
2. Accounts for over 60 percent of industrial and commercial ventures of Nigeria
3. A 2015 report by the Economist states that annually Lagos State generates $90 billion dollars in goods and services.
4. If Lagos was a country its economy would be number 7 in Africa making it bigger than that of Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, and Ghana.
Lagos is served by Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the major airport serving the entire state. It flies to over 60 destinations including Dubai, London Heathrow and Gatwick, New York and Paris.  The airport has many domestic destinations too linking Lagos well within Nigeria but also globally

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