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ICYMI… LIVING ON STILTS: 75 unforgettable images of Makoko. Will it survive Sanwo-Olu’s smart city plan?

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The iconic Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, rose in splendour as we made our way to Makoko from the Oworosonki end of the city.

It was a Saturday. The notorious traffic snarl on the bridge was missing and the sun was gradually peeping through the skies to cast a silvery glow on the lagoon.

As the chauffeure pushed the pedal on our hired cab, the fresh air receded into an unmistakable stench of decaying saw dust as we engaged the Hubert Macauly exchange. It was the clearest indication that we were approaching Makoko, that Lagos slum sitting precariously on stilts at the lagoon front.

The houses were a blend of corrugated iron sheets, planks, bamboos and polythene of various colours. They sprang from the waterbed in no organised manner and humans could be seen as tiny images from afar.

Some set sail on their wooden boats while a few could be seen squatting on logs of wood to answer the call of nature. Others, in combined teams, rolled soaked timbers to the sawmills that hug the waterfront.

We arrived Makoko waterside and sauntered through some poorly marked alleys to the warm embrace of our fixer, Francis Vituwa. Banters over, it was time to take a tour of the community nestling on Lagos waters.

“Welcome to Makoko. This community dates back to the 19th century,” Vituwa said, as we made to board a boat among the lot swaying lazily by the makeshift jetty built of reinforced concrete.

The waters were murky and had a putrid smell. Everyone appeared to be headed somewhere as commuters jostled for boat rides heading off to the creeks or nearby destinations.

“Makoko has a life and an economy of its own,” our guide quipped as he beckoned on the boatman to set sail.

We couldn’t agree less even as we battled to hide our discomfort and fears from the novel experience of probing the waterways of what obviously is an abandoned community.

“Life here is tough. We have no amenities and are just managing to survive. Government promises to us have never been kept. We hope that one day we will be remembered for good.

“However, in spite of the hardships, we are very proud of our culture,” Vituwa said with a tone depicting hope in the future.

He added, “You will get to see our traditional masquerade (Zagbeto) after the tour. It protects the people of Makoko and comes out only during festive seasons. It is also used to welcome new visitors to the community.”

The waterways held so much fun as we overcame the early frights of sailing around Makoko. The cameras clicked endlessly as we took shots of adults, especially women, hawking their wares in wooden canoes, children leaping from their homes into the dirty waters, and fishermen casting their nests in the hope of a bountiful harvest.

We visited schools, hospitals, and entertainment centres to catch a glimpse of how the people of Makoko were living through the era of COVID-19. “We have not lost anyone to Coronavirus,” Vituwa said proudly, a claim we could not independently confirm.

Many hours after, we headed home; back to the jetty from where it had all began. We could see the river banks kiss the mounds of saw dusts deposited over the years, forcing a stench that has become a trademark of the community.

“Makoko never sleeps. Get ready for a rousing welcome by Zagbeto,” Vituwa said as the boatman put the boat to anchor.

Ripples Nigeria brings you 75 unforgettable images and video of Makoko, the forgotten Lagos ‘backwaters’ which future existence is unsure as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu mouths plans for a smart city.


The Third Mainland bridge rises in splendour, as the bright skies shed their blue over the lagoon leading to Makoko community.


Rustic haven! Devoid of any form of splendour, the stilt homes of Makoko are an array of corrugated iron sheets, planks and bamboos.


The magnificent Third Mainland bridge stretches into the horizon as logs of wood queue for slaughter at nearby sawmills.


Moored: Some boats fitted with outboard engines seen moored in readiness for long distance trips.


Culture on display: The popular Zagbeto masquerade strikes a pose with our Correspondent and others as Ripples Nigeria is welcomed to Makoko


A fish trader paddles her canoe home after the day’s business


Electricity transmission lines shoot from the waterbed and tower above the Makoko ‘lagoonscape.’


No worries! Children leap in and out of the water to show their swimming skills.


Our Correspondent gets an opportunity for a chat with one of the Makoko youths who have known no other home but the riverine community.


Proudly Egun! The young and old of the dominant ethnic stock in Makoko are always proud to show off their rich history and culture.


Boats without engines: Some residents navigate their way to the lagoon with support of bamboos


Makoko waterbed, seen from the Third Mainland bridge, shows tiny images of men at work


Our camera catches a little boy with a far flung look at the river bank, perhaps, wondering what the day holds.


Culture: Football fans gather at a viewing centre in readiness of live telecast of a premiership match.


One of the ‘upscale’ properties found nestling on the waters of Makoko.


Business life: Woman, child get their wares ready for trade at Adogbo water side in Makoko


Healthcare delivery: A Doctor and his team pose with Ripples Nigeria Correspondent at God Bless By Faith Medical Clinic, Makoko.


Assured confidence! Two toddlers banter without concerns over whether they could fall into the river and drown.


Another view of batched logs of wood in the waters waiting to take turns at the busy sawmills, with Makoko in the background.


A resident deftly anchors his branded canoe on one of the many stilts jutting out of the waters.


Not too young to paddle: A young boy steers a canoe to rest as he and sibling return home with portable water from the dry lands


Polluted rivers: Floating debris of all sorts overtake the underneath of a ‘high rise’ building standing on stilts.


Floating ‘buka’: A woman sells food to a kid who comes shopping at her canoe laden with varied meals.


Connecting with neighbours: One of the few waterways linking the various residents of Makoko.


Innocence! A baby girl clad in African prints sits atop a plank and lets our cameraman into her world of innocence.


Hungry for knowledge: Two kindergarten kids show swag in their uniforms as they pose for Ripples Nigeria.


A woman shuttles her mobile super market across the Makoko community for door to door service.


A young boy paddles pupils going to school at Makoko water side


A Makoko family enjoys a sit out and a meal after the day’s job is done.


Mistaken litter! Batches of latched timbers on water show evidence of a thriving wood industry.


A food vendor prepares a meal of fried eggs in her canoe for a customer who had placed orders.


A woman seen leaving her home in a canoe supports herself with the plank walls to her building to avoid tipping over.


Organized chaos! With the waters in the foreground, Makoko community depicts an organized chaos from afar.


Family business: A woman and her daughter smoke fresh fish for sale atop their stilt house


Leisure time: Children seen playing in parked canoes undeterred by perceived dangers


Mobile kitchen: A woman battling with harmful smoke is seen cooking and selling in her canoe to make ends meet.


An operator of a betting business is seen eagerly awaiting customers at the Makoko water side


Water everywhere but none to drink! Children play beside jerrycans of water which are usually purchased upland.


The ‘other side’ of Makoko: Children privileged to live upland are seen spending time to entertain themselves with some games.


Still on the other side: A teacher attends to her pupil in Makoko ‘dry land’.


Where dry land meets waterside: Some excited children pose for shoot at the borders.


Without borders: Our cameraman captures children, both from waterside and the dry lands, come together to enjoy a game of football.


Friends! Some children in a canoe, and without safety vests, grant Ripples Nigeria a moment to share their joy as seen in their smiling faces.


Industry: The Makoko sawmills seen in full bloom as the factories nestle on the river banks.


A woman selling cloths anchors her canoe on one of the Makoko waterways as a customer indicates interest in an item.


Food culture: Our Correspondent orders a plate of the much sought after Makoko local delicacy called ‘Garri-gani’



Industry: A young boy cleans and makes his fishing nest ready in anticipation of a good haul.


A shot of Makoko from a distance as evening creeps in on the community.


Women seen buying and selling fresh fish at the outskirts of Makoko community.


Engineering ingenuity: A classic bamboo house in Makoko stands on stilts.


Jetty in clutters: A young boat rider awaits passengers at the makeshift jetty at the Makoko waterside, with canoes moored side by side.


Unmatched skills! Two toddlers show dexterity at handling a canoe even at an early age.


Education: Picture shows the landmark Nyiwna Private Primary School shut down due to Covid-19.


Child labour? A little girl helps out with income generation as she paddles her canoe filled with goods for sale.


A little boy with a forlorn glance stands in front of his family home, one of the many that dots Makoko.


Young men seen moving logs of wood in readiness for splitting at the sawmills located at the waterfronts.


Fishermen seen using floating logs of woods as platforms to cast their nets.


A man is seen taking advantage of the piles of floating timber to harvest fish.


Environmental disaster: Thousands of disused PET bottles and other debris seen clogging the waterways in the absence of refuse disposal systems.


Young boys make their way home in a canoe after foraging the lagoons for fish.


Fun ride! Rather than paddle the canoe, a young lad is seen gliding along as another steers the boat home.


Boy shows off swimming skills as he guides his boat home after going upland to fetch portable water.


Covered with a straw hat to protect her from sun rays, a woman takes her wares by canoe to the nooks and crannies of the waterside.


Photo shows parked empty boats on murky waters, with alleys seen from afar


Residents seen navigating narrow passages to and fro locations of interest


A dilapidated wooden bridge and passageway to some homes


Our Correspondent, full of cheers, cuddles two infants that catch her fancy.


Picture shows the very murky end of the lagoon that has turned completely dark from years of environmental degradation.


A baby lies asleep inside a typical Makoko home


A row of boats await departure at the Makoko jetty.


Mother and child seen in beautiful batik attires as they hope for good returns on their oranges displayed for sale inside a canoe.


Bountiful harvest: Women return from fishing with basins full of fishes


A woman delivered of a baby seen inside a ward at God Bless By Faith Medical Clinic.


Artistic! Independent Baptist Church turns up in beautiful colours at Adogbo waterside.

Project Team

Sunday Nwana Ruth (Correspondent)

Oluwatosin Oladimeji Amosun (Video/camera)

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