Science and Technology: Relevant Tools for Building Lagos as a Model Megacity

1. Science and
Technology:
Relevant Tools for
Building Lagos as a
Model Megacity
Professor Peter Okebukola,
OFR
March 6, 2012

2. Four Questions in 18 minutes
• What is a Megacity?
• What is the Lagos Megacity Project?
• What role will science and technology
play in building and maintaining Lagos
as a megacity?
• How do we prepare to take full
advantage of the role of science and
technology?

3. What is a megacity?
Megacity is a metropolitan
area with a total
population in excess of ten
million people.

4. World’s Megacities
Rank Megacity Population
1 Tokyo 34,300,000
2 Guangzhou 25,200,000
3 Seoul 25,100,000
4 Shanghai 24,800,000
5 Delhi 23,300,000
6 Mumbai 23,000,000
7 Mexico City 22,900,000
8 New York City 22,000,000
9 São Paulo 20,900,000
10 Manila 20,300,000
11 Jakarta 18,900,000
12 Los Angeles 18,100,000
13 Karachi 17,000,000
14 Osaka 16,700,000
Rank Megacity Population
15 Kolkata 16,600,000
16 Cairo 15,300,000
17 Buenos Aires 14,800,000
18 Moscow 14,800,000
19 Dhaka 14,000,000
20 Beijing 13,900,000
21 Tehran 13,100,000
22 Istanbul 13,000,000
23 London 12,500,000
24 Rio de Janeiro 12,500,000
25 Lagos 12,100,000???
26 Paris 10,197,678
Source: Brigkoff Principal Agglomeration of the World’s megacities (2011)

5. What is a megacity?
Short video clip

6. Tokyo the World’s Largest Megacity

7. Seoul (3) and Shanghai (4)

8. What is the Lagos Megacity Project?
• Dreamed about by previous administrations but
operationalised by the Tinubu-Fashola
Administration.
• Lagos will become the third global megacity
with a probability of attaining a population of
24.6 million in 2015
• Approximates to 17 of the State’s 20 local
government areas are covered
• Slight overlap with 4 local government areas and
of the adjoining Ogun State

9. Lagos Megacity Project
• To make Lagos the most modern
megacity in the world with
functioning infrastructure and
other services to support
between 20 and 40 million
people.

10. Today, Lagos accounts for…
• Over 65% of national commercial
activities
• Over 70% of total national cargo freight
• Over 50% of Nigeria’s PTO/GSM
subscribers
• Over 72 % of international and 59% of
domestic aviation traffic

11. Lagos Megacity
Short video clip

12. On the March…(1)
• May 25, 2011 - Lagos State Governor, Mr
Babatunde Fashola (SAN) formally
commissioned the 10 Megawatts Island
Power Project
• Will save about 46 percent of the revenue of
what would have been spent on diesel and
generators as well as poisonous fumes which
may reduce life expectancy

13. On the March…(2)
• The 27 kilometre Light metro Rail line,
christened Blue Line, will run from
Okokomaiko in the west of Lagos to CMS in
Central Lagos and is expected to provide
alternative transportation for thousands of
commuters moving from the western axis of
the city to the city centre everyday

14. What does it take to build a megacity?
• Infrastructure
• Residential
houses
• Offices
• Schools
• Transport system
• ….
• ……
• Hospitals
• Markets
• Security
• Energy
• Water
• Telecommunications

15. How does science and technology come
in?
• Personnel for building and maintaining
all systems and sub-systems in the
megacity
• You need the technology for the
infrastructure, housing, schools,
transport service and all other
elements associated with a megacity.

16. Key professionals needed for building the
Lagos Megacity
Professionals Number
City planners 1,500
Architects 3,800
Mechanical engineers 6,350
Power engineers 2,110
Civil engineers 8,450
Telecommunication engineers 2,190
Road engineers 5,110
Green environment engineers 1,110
Water engineers 820
Sewage engineers 235
Artisans (e.g. plumbers, masons,
welders
300,000
Science and Tech teachers (all levels) 8,500

17. Getting the professionals
• Local training
– LASU, UNILAG, LASPOTECH, other Nigerian
higher education institutions, technical colleges
• Overseas training
• Local + Overseas

18. Sustaining the Lagos Megacity
• Regeneration of professionals through training
• Maintenance culture
• Feeding the people
• Health of the people
• Traffic congestion
• Environmental protection
• Security
• Housing

19. Needed…
• Holistic approach (all systems and
sub-systems planned for)
• Innovative solutions to
infrastructural challenges
• Good governance
• Low level of or no corruption
• Research

20. Challenge S & T Solution
Unemployment Entrepreneurial training;
encourage cottage industries
Environmental concerns especially air
pollution; Industrial and domestic
wastes; flooding
Green technology; Environmental
Education; channelisation, erosion
control
Transportation (traffic congestion) Mass transit infrastructure; Harsh
penalty for breaking traffic rules
Ill-health Increase healthcare facilities and
professionals; health awareness of
the citizenry; Enhance efficiency of
the system
Safety and security (especially
organised crime and terrorism)
Proactive ICT-based approach;
public safety consciousness

21. Efforts of the Ministry of Science and
Technology
• Automation of government activities
• Re-engineering of Government Business Process
• Provision and maintenance of information
technology facilities
• Development of computer education and
computer laboratory for secondary schools
• Science-related human resource development
• Establishment of the e-tutor system
• Establishment of forensic laboratory
• Software development

22. What next?
• Establish an inter-ministerial unit on Science
and Technology Capacity Building for the Lagos
Megacity Project
• Strengthen all tertiary education institutions
and technical colleges in Lagos State to deliver
quality personnel in science and technology for
the Lagos Megacity Project
• Intensive training of science and technology
teachers in Lagos State to be able to respond to
the demands of the Lagos Megacity Project

23. • From 2013 introduce a 45-minute
weekly talk on the Lagos Megacity
Project for all primary and secondary
school pupils to cover all aspects of the
project and expectations from the
citizenry.
• Intensive media activities to enhance
public understanding of the project

24. Last line…
May God keep us in good
health to see the Lagos
Megacity unfold in the
coming years and
decades

25. Thank you for
your attention
Email: peter@okebukola.com