RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.4 The Study Area
The study area is located based on the political delineation of metropolitan Lagos by the federal Republic of Nigeria as constitutionally acknowledged. Figure 2.2 shows the Lagos state boundary in dotted lines from which the following broad study area emanate.
1.Lagos,Lekki axis(east) 2.Lagos,Badagry axis(west) 3.Lagos Island,(central) 4.Lagos Mainland,(North)
north
Figure 2.2 Shows the extent of Lagos state;the dotted boundary lines show the limits.nts.(source,www.googlemap.com)
north
Figure 2.3 Shows the dense patch of the growth of Lagos as at 2010.It is observed that this growth to the north is beyond the state boundary limits; this necessitated the mega-city status.nts.(Source, www.googlemap.com)
north
Figure 2.4 shows Lagos Island (where Lagos is written) Ikoyi and Lekki Peninsula constitutes the new development direction for the middle-income group.The main Land comprises of all areas north of Lagos Island and Ikoyi;Surulere,Ikorodu and the rest as indicated above.nts.
(Source, www.googlemap.com)
north
Figure 2.5 shows the development density of the study area;To the far left is Amuwo Odofin from where Public-corporate estate typology is located,to the right is the lekki peninsula where the remainder three estate typologies are located.nts.The white arrows shows the growth direction of Lagos to the north,east and west.
(source,www.googlemap.com)
Table 2.1 Study Area;Land,water and wetlands by local government area(area in km2) Local
Government Area Water Wetland Land Total
Ikorodu 152 29 280 461
Lagos Island 38 28 144 210
Lagos Mainland 54 2 32 88
Ikeja - 45 247 292
Shomolu - 3 34 37
Mushin - 19 52 71
Badagry(part) 65 201 214 480
309 327 1,003 1,639
Source: MPPU/UN/WSA, 1978 in Smith (1978)
All these areas in table 2.1 are traditional settlements, which became commercial hubs and have grown into other areas of the city and they all co-exist as multi- nucleated entity divided by roads of convenience from which the entire city’s segmentation originates. Figure 2.5 shows the dense patch of growth of the city within the core of the state boundary. Common to these areas is the rising prices of housing both rental and ownership tenure. The specific location of the four estate typologies in relation to metropolitan Lagos is as shown in figure 2.6 below. The relative locations of central Lagos in relation to the study axis is as shown in figures 2.4 and 2.5.The white arrows in figure 2.5 show the direction of housing growth in Lagos relative to the central Lagos Island which is the core of commerce in the state.
Figure 2.6 Map showing Study Area; Source, LSDPC (nd)
The nucleated neighborhood settings of government and private layouts as they occur form the basis for the selection of the study area as above. It is from these neighbourhood settings that the selection of individual estates that are representative of the typologies for the study is drawn. The disparity in rental cost and the price of housing across these areas makes the cross- sectional survey of these areas relevant to the study. Table 2.2 gives is an indicative overview of rental/sale disparity in Lagos and benchmarked against the three-bedroom flat design typology often in high demand for the working middle-income group. From the table, it is evident that social ties/family sentiments in Lagos Central accounts for the low rental/sale value in comparison to the Lagos South east (Ikoyi).This is the core residential area for expatriates due to the colonial setting and security related issues. Rent remains a good source of income for families in most areas of Lagos in a bid to accumulate surplus value.
This disparity in rental/sale is important to issues of target housing for social focus groups.
This reflects the internalized housing market among locals who either would have inherited the properties from parents or obtained government allocation as a public sector employee; or most recently bought the property at a reduced rate of 50%-70% of current market price during the FGN monetization exercise of 2004-2006.
Public corporate Estate-Raji Rasaki- Amuwo Odofin
Private Estate-Crown Estate-Lekki
Public Esatate-Abraham Adesanya estate-Lekki Public-Private Estate-Elegant Estate-Lekki
Table2.2 Indicative Rental/Sale Overview of the Study Area Area of Lagos Rental 3-Bedrm
Flat/annum
Social ties/Sale options
Lagos Island
Isale-Eko (Lagos Central)
N0.5million/
annum ($3,500USD)
Social ties/family sentiments restricts sales:
Rent a good source of annual income as inheritance among siblings
Ikoyi(Lagos South
East) N5million/annum
($33,000USD) Weak social ties/family sentiments; Sale value as high as N150m ($1.0mUSD) Expatriate workforce target market.
Victoria
Island(Lagos South)
N4million/annum
($27,000USD) Ditto Ikoyi above Lekki (Lagos East) N2.5million/annu
m ($16,000USD)
Sale price of about N75m($0.5Musd) nucleated estates void of family sentiments and numerous family excised lands full of family ties/sentiments
Lagos Mainland (Lagos North)
Ikeja
Amuwo Odofin
Shomolu
N0.75m/annum N0.5m/annum
N0.350m/annum
Sale/N30m(single flat) Sale/N25m(single flat)
Sale/N28m for a block of 4flats
Source: Field Survey: Author, 2010
The variations in pricing becomes lower as you move away from the international business hub of Ikoyi and Victoria Island areas (situated in the immediacy of Lagos Island and lekki peninsula as shown in figures 2.2 to 2.6).
Lagos west is densely populated and more desirable for the lower income groups essentially derived from an abandoned planning of the entire region and due to the establishment of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by government. The Alaba-international market is located in this axis of Lagos and in a state of neglect in terms of infrastructure. Except for pockets of housing estates like the public-corporate one selected for this study. Table 2.3 shows the relevant population figure for the study areas based on local government areas (LGA’s).
The selection of the housing estates in the study was based on the method of establishing the estates, as a public or private actor/partner initiated estate. The study identified estate typologies based on the neighbourhoods of Lagos accros the development axis shown in figure 2.6. However, the choice of Lagos reflects the following:
(i)It represents the socio-cultural diversity of Nigeria in one city.
(ii)It represents the historic experience of housing development in Nigeria (pre-colonial to post colonial).
(iii)It represents the complexity of urbanization (as a mega-city).
(iv)It represents the dynamics of an emerging economy in a Third world country.
Table 2.3 The authentic census: Lagos State Social Security Exercise and Estimated Population figure by Sex and Local government area.
Local Government Male Female Total
Agege 564,239 468,825 1,033,064
Ajeromi-Ifelodun 723,644 711,651 1,435,295
Alimosho 1,099,656 947,370 2,047,026
Amuwo Odofin 301,012 223,959 524,971
Apapa 264,728 257,656 522,384
Badagry 187,427 192,993 380,420
Epe 153,360 170,274 323,634
Eti-Osa 460,124 523,391 983,515
Ibeju-Lekki 49,613 49,927 99,540
Ifako-Ijaiye 380,112 364,211 744,323
Ikeja 328,778 319,942 648,720
Ikorodu 364,207 324,838 689,045
Kosofe 527,539 407,075 934,614
Lagos-Island 461,830 398,019 859,849
Lagos-Mainland 326,433 303,036 629,469
Mushin 684,176 637,341 1,321,517
Ojo 507,693 433,830 941,523
Oshodi-Isolo 514,857 619,691 1,134,548
Somolu 517,210 507,913 1,025,123
Surulere 698,403 575,959 1,274,362
STATE TOTAL 9,115,041 8,437,901 17,552,942
SOURCE: Lagos Government State: 2006 Note: Selection of two LGA’s from twenty LGA’s; which represents 10% in the two direction of rapid growth of residential development in the city.
2.5 Selection of Subjects