Group+9B



= __**Lagos, Nigeria**__ =

1. __History__
Written By: Krista R. Clarke Lagos [English Pronunciation: //LAY-gos// and or Edo: //Èkó//] [|Lagos, Nigeria] was originally settled by hunters toc and fisherman called the [|Awori], a subgroup of the [|Yoruba people] in the 4th century BC. At the time they found the land's resources were perfect for their survival needs.

Later in the 15th century, the Awori were conquered by the Benin Empire, which then renamed the it “Eko”, meaning Benin war-camp. In 1472, Lagos, [|Nigeria] was taken over by the Portuguese and named “Lago de Curamo,” eventually becoming “Lagos” — meaning “Lakes”, after the Portuguese city, “[|Lagos, Portugal]”. Lagos later was involved in and flourished under the [|Atlantic stave trade], continuing even after the [|British Empire] outlawed it in 1833. In August 1861, the British gained control of Lagos after it failed to uphold the treaty abolishing the trading of slaves. An estimated 500,000 people were sold during this time.

In 1887 Lagos was seized from British control, and from 1914 until 1991 it was capital the of Nigeria. In 1960, Nigeria gained control of its independents and the “[|Creoles]” people were born, also known as ex-slaves. Some Creoles still exist in the southern states in the United States of America, Caribbean, Bahia, Cuba and St. Helena. During the 1960s and 1970s, Nigeria experienced an economic boom just before the [|Nigerian Civil War], also called the Biafran War.

In 1991 the capital of Nigeria was taken over when the [|Federal Capital Territory] established [|Abuja] as the new capital of Nigeria. Although the Capital of Nigeria was declared on November 14th, most of the government remained in Lagos due to Abuja still being under construction. The city is part of the [|state of Lagos], one of 36 states in Nigeria.

Western perceptions of development in African countries often don't reflect reality. Images from around Lagos in the following videos show how modern the city already is.

media type="youtube" key="RSKvgU3TEm4?fs=1" height="275" width="345" ..... media type="youtube" key="mR9CW8s3QUw?fs=1" height="276" width="345"

City Data. “ [|Lagos History] .” 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2010 Get Away New Orleans. “ [|Creoles] .” 2004. Retrieved November 4, 2010 New World Encyclopedia. “ [|Benin Empire] .” May 26, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2010 Wikipedia. “ [|Aduja] .” November 19, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010 Wikipedia. “ [|Atlantic Slave Trade] .” November 20, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010 Wikipedia. “ [|Yoruba People] .” November 20, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010 Wikipedia. “ [|Awori Tribe] .” June 9, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010 Wikipedia. “ [|Lagos].” November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010
 * __Sources:__**

2. __Geography/Climate__
Written By: Shawn Turville

Lagos State is located on the Gulf of Guinea in southwestern Nigeria. It consists of four islands and numerous mainland areas. Out of all of Nigeria’s 30 states, Lagos is the largest and most important (Franklin, 2009). It has an extensive metropolitan area that takes up about 37 percent of the land, and houses 90 percent of Lagos’ population ([|Lagos, Nigeria Facts 2009]). The metropolitan area, an estimated 300 square kilometers, is a group of islands endowed with creeks and a lagoon. Lagos is projected to be one of the world's five largest cities by 2015 ([|City Profiles: Lagos]). Lagos is one of the wealthiest cities in Africa, second to Cairo, Egypt. Its location is beneficial to its economy because it is a great trade port and commerce location.

Lagos has one of the best climates to live in all year round, with the average temperatures in January being about 90 degrees Farenheit as a high and 72 degrees as a low, while in July their average high is 83 degrees and average low is 72 degrees ([|Lagos Climate 2010]). The rainy season in Lagos occurs from April to July, and then there is a weaker rainy season during October and November. The average rainfall per year is about 1532 mm.

According to the Koppen climate classification, Lagos has a tropical savanna climate. This means that climate in Lagos is tropical, hot and wet. The environment consists of coastal wetlands, sandy barrier islands, beaches, low-lying tidal flats and estuaries ([|Lagos, Nigeria]). However, they have very poor soil quality, making it very difficult for the rural population to successfully farm and profit from their agriculture.



__**S****ou****rces:**__

City profiles: lagos, nigeria. (1996). Retrieved from []

Case study of lagos. (2010). Retrieved from  http://www.water.tkk.fi/wr/tutkimus/glob/publications/Haapala/pdf-files/CASE%20STUDY%20OF%20LAGOS.pdf

Eredo, C. (2009, August 08). Lagos map. Retrieved from http://mappery.com/map-of/Lagos-Map

Franklin, S. (2009). Lagos, nigeria. Retrieved from http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/cities/city_lagos.html

Lagos. (2010, November 24). Retrieved from []

Lagos, nigeria climate graph. (2008). Retrieved from []

The official website of lagos state. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.lagosstate.gov.ng/ 

3. **__Economy__**
Written By: Matt Salwasser

Like many other countries in Africa, Nigeria’s economy is largely based on the exportation of oil. [|According to OT Africa Line,] Lagos serves as the country’s main port, and is divided into three separate ports: Apapa, Tin Can Island and Lagos ([|1]). It is governed by the Nigerian Ports Authority ([|1]) and shipped a little more than 103 million tons of crude oil in 2000 ([|4]) – a number that has surely risen in recent years. Because of this increase, Lagos is now the largest city in Nigeria ([|1]) and the seventh fastest growing city in the world ([|5]).

Not only does Lagos serve as Nigeria’s most important port, but it is also seen by some as a gateway to Western economies. The port was first used by fisherman in need of a place to repair their equipment and rest, but upon making contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, Lagos was transformed into a major, international hub ([|3]). At this time, Lagos was also used as a departure point for South American slave shipments.

By 1862, Lagos’ commercial exports totaled £78,000, which, by 1900, increased to £830,000 ([|3]). 1862’s commercial imports totaled £62,000, which increased to £885,000 in 1900 ([|3]). More than 65% of Nigeria’s current imports come through Lagos’ port, and 80% of the country’s industrial manufacturing is centered in the city ([|2]). However, the metropolis still struggles with a high unemployment rate and crime rate, though the latter is said to be declining ([|2]).

Today, Lagos’ economy is still rapidly growing. [|According to CityData.com], Lagos is “perhaps also the only one state capable of generating enough internal revenue to sustain its operations.” ([|3]) Its economy is largely sustained by industrial businesses, international shipments, business brought by Nigerian government agencies and other companies. These various economic agents allow Lagosians to have a higher standard of living compared to the rest of Africa.


 * __Sources__**


 * 1) OT Africa Line. “[|Nigeria].” 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010
 * 2) Business Travel Nigeria. “[|Lagos Nigeria].” 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010
 * 3) Cities of the World. “[|Lagos - Economy].” 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2010
 * 4) OT Africa Line. “[|Lagos Port].” 2001. Retrieved November 22, 2010
 * 5) City Mayor Statistics. “[|World’s Fastest Growing Urban Areas].” 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010
 * 6) Rates To Go. “[|Top 25 Fastest Growing Cities II].” June 29, 2008. Retrieved November 22, 2010
 * 7) Arabian Supply Chain. “[|Nigerian terminal breaks productivity record].” June 18, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2010

4. __Education__
Written by: Ruthie Kelly



Of the 120 million people in Nigeria, 30 million are students, according to the U.S. Embassy. [|The Embassy's country profile] notes that "The government ... has adopted education as an instrument for national development."

[|Education in Nigeria] begins for most students at age 6; they spend six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school (roughly equivalent to grades 6 – 9 in the U.S.) and three years in senior secondary school (equivalent to U.S. high schools). Secondary schools may be operated by the federal or state government.

According to the U.S. Embassy, "[Federal] schools are supposed to be model schools carrying and maintaining the ideals of secondary education for Nigerian students. Admission is based on merit ... Tuition and fees are very low, approximately [$100], because funding comes from the Federal Government." In contrast, "State owned schools are funded by each state government and are not comparable to the Federal [schools]. Although education is supposed to be free ... students are required to purchase books and uniforms costing them an average of [$200]. ... Often times these schools are understaffed due to low state budgets, lack of incentives and irregularities in payment of staff salaries." Students who are unable to purchase required books or uniforms often drop out. Cultural barriers also exist, particularly for families practicing conservative Islam, who may wish to protect their daughters. Alternative private schools exist, but are expensive — $1,000 to $2,000/year. Some of the struggles students face are being documented on film.

media type="youtube" key="emy1QXQF9ms?fs=1" height="346" width="432" .....media type="youtube" key="hIwMHw-0j5Y?fs=1" height="346" width="432"

[|Lagos' education system] includes seven universities and a collection of polytechnic colleges. The city's primary institutions are the [|University of Lagos] and [|Lagos State University.] The former, "UNILAG," enrolls more than 39,000 students alone. Like many schools in the U.S., [|universities in Nigeria are experiencing] funding shortages, tuition hikes and professor strikes due to the global economic downturn.

5. __Technology and Globalization__
Written By: Elias Baldrige

Being the fastest growing city in Africa, Lagos has experienced a rapid growth in technology and globalization. Lagos is home to six polytechnic universities and is an African hub for technology education. On a continent that is very underdeveloped, Lagos leads the way as a modern city and is more connected to the world than any other surrounding African city. The transformation from a small tribal port to a world [|megacity] happened very rapidly, forcing the people of Lagos to adjust quickly to globalization.

Social media has become a huge part of Lagos' new culture. Thousands of residents use Twitter and Lagos is part of a group of international cities that host an annual Twestival, a large meet up for Twitterers to raise money for charities. Roughly half a million people are active Twitter users and over a million people are on Facebook in Lagos and its surrounding area. With a lot of corruption in the Nigerian government, social media allows citizens to voice opinions and organize rallies. Close to 80 percent of Nigerian citizens live on one dollar a day, yet a third of the country's 150 million residents have access to the Internet. This trend shows how important Internet is becoming in Nigerians' everyday life.

But with the sudden expansion of Internet technology also comes dangerous security threats. Because the growth has been so quick, law enforcement has a tough time regulating the massive amount of Internet usage in Lagos and the city has become a center for scammers. Many Internet cafes in Lagos are hubs for underground computer hacking and are the site of some the most malicious web scams in the world. media type="youtube" key="7OovpwuL388" width="425" height="350" Globalization has affected Lagos greatly. The African city speaks mostly english, shows modern American movies and even provides salsa dancing lessons. This sudden change from old to new culture has impacted Lagos positively and negatively. Lagos is becoming a world port exporting technologies all over the world. But the new megacity still struggles with finding a proper balance of funding for education. As the city works to avoid the kinks that come with globalization, it continues to expand both with population and technology. By 2025, Lagos will be the 11th most populated city in the world.