1. Home
  2. Slideshows
  3. Nigeria: The Floating Slum's of Makoko

Nigeria: The Floating Slum's of Makoko

Published January 17th, 2020 - 02:00 GMT

Makoko is the perfect nightmare for the Lagos government – a slum in full view spread out beneath the most traveled bridge in west Africa’s megalopolis. Yet this city on stilts, whose residents live under the constant threat of eviction, has much to teach.

Officially, the floating Lagos slum of Makoko does not exist. It does not appear on any city planning documents or maps. But that is about to change, thanks to a team of local volunteers and South Africa-based NGO Code For Africa. 

Using geolocalising technology, they navigate the waterways of this floating slum to create a map that they hope will improve the lives of those living here.

Makoko is also the perfect nightmare for the state government – a slum in full view spread out beneath the most travelled bridge in west Africa’s largest city. Everyone who flies into Lagos to do business on the Islands is likely to find themselves passing over the Third Mainland Bridge. For a city keen to re-create itself as forward-looking, Makoko is a dismal advertisement, and the government knows this. 

View as a slider
View as a list
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a boy steering a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a boy steering a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows people steering boats on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YA

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows people steering boats on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a girl steering a boat on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. Y

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a girl steering a boat on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling daily items on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess.

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling daily items on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a teacher speaking to his students during his class at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although t

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a teacher speaking to his students during his class at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a student next to a board at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a student next to a board at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a woman smoking fish in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA /

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a woman smoking fish in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling breakfast from a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess.

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling breakfast from a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows women on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows women on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a boy steering a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows people steering boats on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YA
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a girl steering a boat on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. Y
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling daily items on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess.
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a teacher speaking to his students during his class at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although t
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a student next to a board at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a woman smoking fish in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA /
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling breakfast from a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess.
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows women on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a boy steering a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a boy steering a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows people steering boats on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YA
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows people steering boats on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a girl steering a boat on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. Y
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a girl steering a boat on a waterway in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling daily items on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess.
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling daily items on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a teacher speaking to his students during his class at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although t
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a teacher speaking to his students during his class at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a student next to a board at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a student next to a board at a private school in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a woman smoking fish in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA /
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows a woman smoking fish in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling breakfast from a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess.
A picture taken on March 2, 2019 shows a woman selling breakfast from a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows women on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
A picture taken on March 1, 2019 shows women on a boat in the Makoko waterfront community in a polluted lagoon in Lagos, Africa’s biggest megalopolis in Nigeria. The sprawling community began in the 19th century as a fishing village for immigrants who settled on the water's edge. As more arrived and land became rare, people started to move out onto the water. Over time, Makoko became a floating realm of perhaps a quarter of a million people, although the real number is anyone's guess. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
Tags:NGO Code For AfricaLagosNigeriaThird Mainland Bridge

You may also like

Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive updates and enhanced content
Subscribe Now
Loading content ...