Who will save Makoko from environmental pollution?
Our trip around the floating community Makoko otherwise Known as the ”Venice of Africa” indicates that the river community has little or no sense of sanitation, poor hygiene, and complicated dirty and sticking stagnant river which only serves them as a means of transportating themselves to their various homes. This river as left Makoko community in fighting climate change related to flood, rise in sea level and pollution for decades.
Makoko is a community across the 3rd Mainland bridge located on the coast of mainland Lagos State. This community is built on stilts along the Lagoon and the rest is on the land.
From the Canon station where passagers are being converged inside the heart of Makoko, you will be greeted with dirty, sticking polluted sewage water and you wonder how the people leaving in Makoko survives.
The history of Makoko started when the Egun people migrated from Badagary from the republic of benin to create a large settlement for their fishing occupation. In the stilts, every Child born must know how to paddle a boat and go for finishing which is a common practice in the community. A child of 5 and above could be seen carrying heavyweight from the cannon without being assisted.
Today the story of a fishing community has turn sore, as nobody fishes in Makoko anymore due to sewage which spread out below the houses and the inhabitants live in one of the unhealthiest marginal neighborhood in the world.
Communal latrine practice in Makoko is shared around 10-15 households, which makes the Environment full of sewage, kitchen residues and all kinds of materials ends up in the water below their homes.
One could imagin the kind of life the people live in such infected Environment, even as the
Children are also seen comfortably playing inside dirty black sewage water of Makoko just to catch-up with childhood activities.
The question is, do they have a Choice? The situation in Makoko is pathetic hence call for urgent intervention.
During an exclusive interview with the Hon. Commissioner for Information and Strategy Lagos State Mr. Gbenga Omotoso disclosed that Lagos State Government is working towards alleviating Makoko´s Environment which as remain an eyesore for visitors coming into Lagos state for years. The project will further brought a glimmer of hope to the suburbs.
Speaking further was the Son of Oba who controls all the afairs of Makoko water Community Shemede Tiawo. Shemede Tiawo was born and brought up in Makoko community but dare’s to be different in touching lives of other children of Makoko in a positive way.
The little school structure which is not even enough for the children living in Makoko was built by some spirited individuals on top the same polluted water, Shemede Taiwo could be seen doing his normal routines of converging children to school and also teaching them on basic lessons. His love to his community as drawn attention from public and private sectors, foreigners and NGOs visiting the community.
Enobet Environmental Watch Initiative plays it own social responsibility in touching the lifes of the children of Makoko community by distributing writing materials and other essentials for school.
No doubt the slum has positive and negative aspect of life. It has also serves as economic hub and a tourist village for many. Is also hard to tell how many people reside in the slum, as there has never been an official census carried out in Makoko. How ever locals estimate more than one million.
In Makoko everyone survives differently for those who can’t afford to pay a cannon use other means to transport themselves from one point to another. Buying and selling in Makoko is also an Herculean task for the people living in the slum.