By Aminah Carew
Makoko, a home to over 80,000, is a localized and neighboring community to Iwaya and was settled in the 19th century. It is largely harbored by the Egun people who migrated from Badagry and the Republic of Benin.
At Makoko, the major occupation of residents is fishing as the area is mostly covered in water and only one third of it is on dry land. The community is sometimes referred to as the Floating Village or Venice of Africa.
While speaking with a few residents of Makoko, NatureNews learnt that the community has a lot of residents who value where they live and are protective of their homes.
Tosin Ojigbami, who has lived half of his life in Makoko, was able to learn furniture making after his secondary education in the community. He described Makoko as a peaceful and sometimes bubbling environment.
In his words, “Since I moved here from Orile, I have been able to further my passion for furniture craft and rented a shop for it. I also go out of this community to make furniture but the costs are usually very different as the people of Makoko are not wealthy.
“Here, we live according to our means and also enjoy life in such way. We sometimes have parties and get together.
“I wish something could be done about the neatness of the environment. The water is very dirty, and some children usually play inside it which I think is bad for their health.
“We also do not have a good waste disposal system, which is why there is dirt everywhere and this causes flooding during rainy season.
“I really wish something can be done about the dirt because that is the area we are mostly lacking for now.”
Another resident of Makoko, Ahmed Bilesanmi, complained that in Makoko there isn’t any public secondary school which is very needed as most of Makoko residents can hardly afford the ones available.
He said, “I was born and brought up in Makoko. I attended Adekunle Anglican primary school but had to go outside of the community for my secondary education because my parents could not afford the available one, after which I learnt how to cut hair.
“I also did some menial jobs to help my family and now I work for the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) which I am proud of because it is better than stealing.”
Just as Tosin stated, Ahmed also praised Makoko community for its peaceful environment despite the poverty situation.
He said, “At some point in time, Makoko was full of crisis due to political affiliations and this resulted in some residents leaving the area. But as of now, Makoko is one of the most peaceful communities in Yaba Local Government Area with low crime rates and more residents have moved in.
“We also have good electricity and quite a number of efficient infrastructures such as clubs and football courts which we occupy ourselves with. Most of the young boys in the community are also working so we are quite satisfied with our life here.
“My major complaint about Makoko is that some streets have very bad roads which the government has not tended to. We are left with contributing money ourselves and some wealthy residents who repair the roads as an act of goodwill.
“Also, some areas here are very dirty and this is because the LAWMA staff assigned to clean and dredge dirt are not working anymore. It is a very sad situation because the people in that environment are now accustomed to that lifestyle and do not have the choice or means to move to a better area.”
Makoko is a nightmare for the Lagos state government as everyone who comes into Lagos for business is most likely to pass over the Third Mainland Bridge which is above Makoko. For a popular and sophisticated place like Lagos, Makoko is a poor advertisement.
It is therefore, keen to pursue the easiest solution to this problem. This which led to the demolition of some stilts in July 2012 rendering 30,000 people homeless and one resident killed.
It is also a marvel that despite the crowd and dirty environment, Makoko’s biggest health challenges are not communicable diseases such as cholera but non-communicable diseases: malaria, malnutrition and respiratory diseases. Asides from the traditional attendants, there is also little or no antenatal care which makes childbirth difficult.
According to a trader who chose to be identified as Iya Ibeji, Makoko is a place she has adapted to its lifestyle and would be glad if the community can be more developed in terms of recognition and infrastructure especially the area of flooding treated.
