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World most extreme places

Slums of Makoko, Nigeria

From series “The Most Extreme Settlements on the Planet”
The most extreme settlement in Nigeria is the Makoko slum. Many parts of it are known under the unofficial name, the Black Venice. Makoko is one of the areas of Lagos, it borders with the most advanced and modern districts of the city with banks and office centers. Black Venice consists of few streets built just over the water. People here live in wooden huts. Just an appearance of these structures could plunge into horror. It seems that dilapidated wooden houses may collapse into the water at any time.

Slums of Makoko, Nigeria Once upon a time, this place was a thriving fishing village supplying the seafood to the whole city. Over time, the water off the coast became heavily polluted. Today, water with a sharp odor is not suitable for fishing. According to statistics, an average of 6 to 10 people live in each of the floating houses. According to official figures, the population of Makoko area is about 150 000 people, and according to unofficial data it is 100 000 more.

Basically, poor families live there. Migrant workers flock there from all parts of West Africa. The main means of transportation for locals are wooden boats; they are in each family. Several years ago, the Government of Nigeria expressed concerns about the well-being of the area. A first floating school in the history of the village was built there. In the near future, the government intends to arrange the resettlement of indigenous people to other, cleaner and more comfortable areas of the capital and its environs. Next - Coober Pedy


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Slums of Makoko - interactive map

Useful staff nearby

ATM bankomat: 'Wema Bank - Ebute Meta' located in 1.08 km ( check the route on the map).
Car rental office: 'Capo Car Rentals' is located in 3.46 km ( on the map).
Fuel station: 'MRS Petrol Station' in 1.16 km
Supermarket: 'Lifeback Pharmacy and Store Limited' in 1.34 km
Parking: 'MFM Bus Garage' in 1.99 km
Apotheek: 'Pius&Gina' in 1.29 km
Police station: 'Oko-Baba Police Post' in 0.49 km
Cafe/restaurant: 'Jesiclaret ventures' in 1.02 km
Railway station: 'Lagos Railway Station' in 1.69 km
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Top destination around Slums of Makoko - Lagos Nigeria

When visiting Nigeria, numerous tourists and travelers prefer to make a stop in Lagos. This is a large city in the Lagos Lagoon, the Gulf of Guinea. Nowadays, Lagos is a major tourist destination on the African coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This settlement has one more informal name – the country’s “sea gate” because of its location. It is virtually impossible to get bored in Lagos because this city is incredibly rich in interesting attractions and recreation areas.

Originally, the Yoruba people inhabited the territory of modern Lagos. They called their village Eko which meant “farm” in their language. Some sources say that Eko could also mean “camp”. In 1472, Portuguese naval explorer Rui de Sequeira reached this land. When he saw the beautiful area, “lakes” or Lagos was the first word that came to his mind. This is how the region got its name. Starting from 1704, Lagos turned into a center of the slave trade.
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