Lagos is vibrant and marked by the dynamic hustle and unparalleled energy. It welcomes more than 2,000 new residents every day and 86 an hour, making it one of the continent’s fastest-growing cities. With its population estimated at somewhere between 17 and 23 million people, Lagos provides the unique opportunity to access about 20 million consumers in a 999.6km² area.
Local government officials will tell you they have a plan that can resolve the city’s issues in the next six months. Long-term residents, however, will assure you that very few of these plans deliver. As a result, most learn how to work with the grain of the city rather than wait for it to change. Lagos can often feel chaotic and disorganised; some of the best advice I received during my first trip to the city wasIf there’s something in Lagos that doesn’t seem to make sense, a project or problem that could be easily fixed but isn’t… just wait, because in time it will become apparent who is benefiting from the way things are.”