Lagos in Nigeria is an aspiring smart city in which citizens adapted technology to solve everyday challenges. This put Lagos on the way to becoming a truly smart city with the focus on sustainability, people-centered governance, bottom-up initiatives and administrative systems supported by technology. Lagos promotes hi-tech (institutional, international) and low tech (local, citizen led) solutions that are co-created in response to the challenges of the city.
There are several ways in which residents of Lagos adapted smartness practices to suit their needs as they navigate the city.
Lagos has a population of 23 million people and a housing deficit of about 3 million units. Local community-based smart solutions improved housing and infrastructure crisis. Cooperative societies provided housing solutions for many residents. In addition, resident association collected resources to provide neighborhood security services, energy storage units, sewage system and solar-powered streetlights.
Main Tejuosho Shopping Complex is a five-storey complex of over 4,000 shops. New occupants in the complex are largely well-established banks and the international retail chains, such as Spar. Commercial space rental rates are unaffordable for most of the local small businesses. As a result, many of them moved out and leveraged Internet to perform their commercial transactions.
The rise of digital online marketplaces such as Jumia and Konga is an indication of a citizen-led smart economy. In fact, Jumia reports 700,000 visitors weekly with 57% accessing platform via a mobile phone. It is estimated that there are 22 million active social media users in Nigeria which is an immediate client base for the entrepreneurs who utilize social media as an online marketplace. These online traders contribute to the formal economy and need to be captured in the government’s vision of the “smart city”.
The transport system in Lagos is mostly inadequate. 90% of total passengers and goods are moved via a road network. The state owned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is able to move only 1.5% of traffic while private mini busses (known as danfos) account for 45% of traffic.
Several citizen-led interventions in providing smart transport solutions have been introduced. They include crowdsources online journey planners such as Lara.ng. It helps Lagosians plan their trips using public and private transportation methods. Lara.ng. collects data from different sources and provides a holistic view for travelling around the city. Shuttlers is another private company that provides mass travel services between central business areas via a mobile app.
In conclusion, Lagosians responded creatively and positively to the challenges of urban life. In order for Lagos to fulfill its smart city potential there need to be both human and material efforts deployed to solve its everyday challenges.