This place is no other than the Venice of Africa; Makoko. Makoko is a paradox of living as the community thrives on water residents here lack access to safe drinking water. When it rains, conditions turn particularly nasty.
When one drive from the
mainland towards the Island through 3rd mainland bridge you can see Makoko at
the Ebuta Metta diversion just below the bridge it's easy to spot the poignant
plight and lack of hygiene the residents lives in which makes it uninhabitable.
Al Jazeera claims Makoko used
to be a small fishing village built by fishermen who came from Benin to make
money more than a hundred years ago, before it grew into an illegally
constructed one-square-kilometer urban settlement.
Al Jazeera further explains
that the population now consists mainly of migrant workers from West African
countries, trying to make a living in Nigeria. The oily black water is no
longer suitable for fishing; it emits a pungent smell, and a thick layer of
white scum gathers around the shack stilts.
Wikipedia notes that the
area is essentially self-governing with a very limited government presence in
the community and local security being provided by area boys.
A correspondent was around
the community and took gruesome pictures portraying Makoko as uninhabitable.
Al Jazeera

Residents fetch drinking water from a water tank at Makoko floating community.

An elderly man sit by the corridor of his makeshift home in makoko floating community.

A trader conveying her goods to the market

A woman hawks and fry beans cake in a wooden boat at Makoko floating community.

A trader hawks food items in a wooden boat at Makoko floating community.

A trader hawk her wears in a wooden boat at Makoko floating community.

A trader hawk her wears in a wooden boat at Makoko floating community.

A trader conveying cartons of imported fish from a local frozen store house to her shop with a wooden boat in Makoko, floating community.

Fisher men fixing their fishing net at Makoko floating community

Residents of Makoko floating community about to board a wooden boat to their respective business.

A man heading to work at makoko floating community.

An electrician fixing a bad television set in his makeshift


Life goes on sha o
ReplyDeleted level of poverty is beyond me
ReplyDeleteGood to that they still live and make a life out of little or nothing.
ReplyDelete