Eko Atlantic City is a highly ambitious urban development project which is being built on reclaimed land along the coast in Lagos, and is an example of a 'top-down' approach to improve quality of life of some of the city's residents. An estimated $6 billion will be spent on the project, bringing benefits that trickle down to the poorest in Lagos. It will focus on innovation and technology and aims to be the new financial centre of Nigeria and West Africa, with many people calling it 'Africa’s answer to Dubai'.

Multiplier effect

It is hoped that Eko Atlantic City will trigger a multiplier effect of additional benefits to Lagos. It is estimated the new city will create between 150,000 to 350,000 jobs, firstly in the construction phase, and then once the development is up and running within the TNCs that locate there. There will also be jobs created indirectly in supplier services, such as food deliveries and cleaning. Those workers will spend their money in Lagos which will increase the demand for local services, creating further jobs. These jobs are likely to be formal which will generate tax, which can then fund infrastructure improvements, such as transport, power, water supply and sanitation. Better infrastructure then makes Lagos more attractive to businesses looking to locate to West Africa, so other TNCs and companies will move into the city, creating further jobs.

Climate resilience

10 sq km of land is being reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean to build Eko Atlantic City. Developers argue that this will reduce the threat of coastal erosion to the CBD of Lagos (which is home to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Central Bank and the headquarters of numerous TNCs). It will also protect Victoria Island which has faced severe floods in the past and has lost 2km of land to the sea over the last decade as groynes and beach nourishment have failed. A major part of the project is a 9m high and 8.5 km long concrete barrier, named the 'Great Wall of Lagos' which is being build to protect Eko Atlantic City from severe storms in the future.

However, there are concerns that this wall is actually increasing the risk for some poor Lagosians in neighbouring areas, as storm surges are now directed further along the coast to an area which is no stranger to storm surges anyway. In 2012 the neighbourhood of Kuramo Beach was battered by a huge storm surge which killed 16 people and displaced 1,500. In response the government sent in armed men and bulldozers to destroy the remaining homes and shops to prevent a similar disaster in the future, despite the people here having nowhere to go. Climate scientists claim the increasing severity of these surges is due to the sand filling activity on Eko Atlantic.

A city for the elite?

Many have argued that Eko Atlantic City will only really benefit the wealthier Lagosians. 90 million cubic metres of sand has been dredged from the Atlantic Ocean to create a new island 8km long which is going to be a mixed-use development of offices, retail and housing for 250,000 people. The plan includes one of the largest shopping malls in Africa, and luxury apartments in 150m high skyscrapers, where a 3-bed apartment will cost between £775,000-£1,900,000, so it is definitely a development for elite Lagosians and overseas investors.

Eko Atlantic City has many other benefits for wealthy clients, such as its own independent power station, so residents don't have to face the frequent power cuts that occur across the city, and its own sewage management system, so it is not having to use the same old and poorly maintained pipes as the rest of the city. Residents will also have their own international school and international hospital, and excellent transport links including a light railway, water taxis on the canal system and a modern efficient road network, which are all restricted for the general public. There will also be robust security systems in place, which is important in a city with a high rate of crime, so residents can feel safe living away from the busier parts of Lagos.

Summary

• Expected to generate $1 billion annually to the Nigerian economy when fully complete
• Increased revenue for the government to invest in improving housing and infrastructure - which should improve life for the urban poor
• But some argue that the development will mainly benefit corporate investors, developers, politicians, and overseas property speculators, and will make the urban poor feel excluded