Development plans for the coastal area of Lagos are jeopardising the local cultural, social and ecological setup

摘要

In 1975, the Nigerian Afrobeat activist-musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti released the song titled Water No Get Enemy, which literally means "water has no enemy". The song speaks about the character of water and its indifference to every human situation. The lyrics of the song couldn't have been truer for anywhere else but Lagos - a city that has had a love-hate relationship with its waters for over a century. From the then flourishing transatlantic slave trade to the 1851 British bombardments and eventual annexation of the city, Lagos has always been defined by its waters. Over the years Lagos has turned its waters to profit, but it has also often been on the receiving end of their wild rage.