WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH……, WHAT DO YOU DO………?
When writers like Mike Davis talks about slum, they always mention a city like Lagos, Mexico, and Mumbai. Most people in the western world try to imagine what these cities may be like? But all they know are the data’s on the net and the stories or books they have read. However, getting information about a place and having a personal experience of a place are entirely two different dichotomies.
I am living in the western world and I had lived in Nigeria, precisely in Lagos for 23 years. Even though, one could claim that I lived in a formal setting in Lagos; I often confront the informal setting, the slums everyday and I understand fully the way the system works. Imagine when you live in a city with a population of about 10 million and density of 24182/km2 with no proper planning or whatsoever, then what happens. What kind of place am I talking about…………………?
When writers like Mike Davis talks about slum, they always mention a city like Lagos, Mexico, and Mumbai. Most people in the western world try to imagine what these cities may be like? But all they know are the data’s on the net and the stories or books they have read. However, getting information about a place and having a personal experience of a place are entirely two different dichotomies.
I am living in the western world and I had lived in Nigeria, precisely in Lagos for 23 years. Even though, one could claim that I lived in a formal setting in Lagos; I often confront the informal setting, the slums everyday and I understand fully the way the system works. Imagine when you live in a city with a population of about 10 million and density of 24182/km2 with no proper planning or whatsoever, then what happens. What kind of place am I talking about…………………?
A place where corruption thrives,
A place where diseases grow and germs spreads,
A place where overcrowding and congestion are the order of the day,
A place where there is no law and security,
A place where there is no insurance or privacy,
A place where there is no electricity and sanitation,
A place where there is no place………….
A place where diseases grow and germs spreads,
A place where overcrowding and congestion are the order of the day,
A place where there is no law and security,
A place where there is no insurance or privacy,
A place where there is no electricity and sanitation,
A place where there is no place………….
So, when the going gets tough what do you do?, Maybe Mumbai is similar, maybe not, but it will be interesting and also challenging to experience this system and see how it works.
A place of residence in Lagos for people.
Overcrowding and congestion are the order of the day
