Social opportunities:
● Lagos has better access to services/resources compared to rural Nigeria
○ Education
■ More schools/universities in Lagos than outside the city
■ If educated → more likely to find a job in one of Lagos’ growing industries
● eg/ finance, film, fashion
○ Increase in years of school → increase GNI → increase in life expectancy
○ Better qualification = higher paid jobs
○ Increase in gross national income = better healthcare/shelter/sanitation
■ 68% of the population have secondary education
● In rural areas → less than 40% attend primary school
○ Health care
■ Health care is available
■ Nearest clinic/hospital is very close
● May have to queue if you can’t afford to pay
■ More health care centres and hospitals → better range of medicines/treatments
Transport
■ Planned rapid transit network in city has already been built
○ Electricity
■ 2 new power stations are planned to reduce city’s shortage of electricity
■ Wealthy households/businesses rely on generators to provide power when network fails
■ People can use electricity for cooking and lighting
● Access to electricity also means people can develop business
○ Water supply
■ Wealthiest homes have clean piped water supply → only 10% of city
■ Others use public taps/boreholes or buy water from street vendors
○ Crime reduction
■ City has bought 3 helicopters for police to spot criminal activities
● eg/ armed muggings, burglaries, carjackings
Economic opportunities:
● Employment:
○ More jobs available in Lagos than anywhere else in Nigeria
○ Possible to work in informal economy , paying no tax
■ eg/ street vendor, recycling waste
● Cheaper for consumer → easy money and self-employment
○ 90% of new jobs created in informal sector
● Lagos Lagoon → provides good sheltered harbour for shipping/trade
● Lagos has a major international airport → arrival point for 80% of flights to West Africa
● Lagos has developed in a major industrial centre
● Home to many of the country’s banks, government departments and manufacturing industries
● Growing population provides large market for goods/services
○ Encourages more industry to locate there
● Rapid growth of the city means that there are many construction jobs
● Many schools/universities → Lagos has well-educated, skilled workforce
○ Attracts more companies
● Has a thriving film/music industry → “Nollywood” films are very popular