[sustran] UK to invest £30m in Nigerian public transport system

[Todd Edelman, Green Idea Factory]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/31/nigeria-molues-danfoes-uk-invest


  UK to invest £30m in Nigerian public transport system

Britain to pay for buses and trains to replace molues and danfoes - 
Lagos's legendarily hectic buses and minibuses

    * John Vidal <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/johnvidal>
    * guardian.co.uk <http://www.guardian.co.uk/>, Wednesday 31 March
      2010 17.06 BST


Lagos is set for a major transport overhaul Photograph: Pius Utomi Ekpei 
/AFP/Getty Images

Anyone who has experienced the "molues" and "danfoes" - the notorious 
buses and minibuses of Lagos 
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1186572.stm> - will understand 
the word anarchy. They carry huge numbers of people round the African 
mega-city but they respect no traffic lanes, bus-stops or policemen, 
many are falling apart and they belch some of the the dirtiest smoke in 
Africa <http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/africa>.

But Britain is hoping to bring some order to the city of legendary 
traffic jams 
<http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2010/Helping-the-poorest-in-the-worlds-biggest-cities/> 
and road rage by trying to rationalise its public transport system. Over 
the next few years it will invest more than £30m increasing the number 
of bus routes, bringing in bigger buses and helping to build two new 
train lines to go through some of the most densely populated areas of Lagos.

Lagos has a population of 16 million but the Nigerian government expects 
this to grow to over 25m in the next 20 years, leaving the city 
authorities unable to provide clean water and electricity, or to keep 
pace with the growth of slums. Unless investments are urgently made in 
the infrastructure, says the UK's Department for International 
Development, the situation will become critical. It now plans to invest 
in improving slum areas in other African cities.

The switch to investing in the urban environment rather than rural areas 
marks a significant shift in approach to combating poverty. Until very 
recently most aid has been directed at rural areas to try and stem the 
flow of people to cities and boost agriculture. But there is a new 
understanding that hunger in large cities and poverty is now as bad in 
cities as in rural areas.

"Investing in urban areas is a different set of challenges," said 
international development minister Gareth Thomas. "We have watched the 
rise of the mega-city, especially in Africa 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/22/un-cities-mega-regions>. 
Places like like Addis Ababa, Cairo and Johannesburg will all see 
massive expansion over the next 20-30 years. Unless we act now people 
will only live in slums 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/22/slums-un-report>.

"People find it difficult to access work outside their own impoverished 
areas due to lack of transport and potential industry around the slums 
is hampered by unreliable electricity sources," he said.

UN predictions show that, by 2030, 700 million people will live in towns 
or cities in Africa and of them, 70% will live in slums.

-- 
--------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Green Idea Factory

Urbanstr. 45
D-10967 Berlin
Germany

Skype: toddedelman
Mobile: ++49 0162 814 4081

edelman at greenidea.eu
www.greenidea.eu
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