I’ve shared with you in previous posts some traffic stories from Lagos and Nairobi (see Urban Transport, Transport Infrastructure Boosts Business). Could there be any more? Yes! The longer you sit there, the more stories you have to share – this is how bad traffic can get. Here’s another one: on my last day of […]
Smart Cities’ Challenges in Africa
Caught in the midst of traffic at Lagos after attending a discussion about the electricity challenges in Nigeria, I told my driver about how smart cities would improve people’s lives. He gave me a skeptical look, which I interpreted as “will I ever see this come true…?” I read recently an article about strategies for […]
Manufacturing in Africa
Lagos is full of street vendors (see an earlier post about their frenzy activity!). It can get overwhelming! One of my Nigerian friends explained to me “Yeah! We’re traders! There’s hardly any manufacturing, and there are historical reasons for this: the Brits were interested in selling overseas what they manufactured at home…” This seems to […]
African Cities in Motion
Driving once in the middle of Lagos’ traffic hassle, I could feel the driver’s desperation. I told him about people working on the smart cities concept, and how information technology could enhance citizens’ quality of life. I felt then a rather skeptical reaction. Last week, IESE Cities in Motion Index (CIMI) was released. My colleagues […]
Urban Transport
Many people have asked if I enjoyed life in Lagos. I certainly did, even though life is not easy there. Urban transport is one of the daily struggles. But I had it easy – my host Lagos Business School covered my needs. Afolabi, Henry, or another driver picked me up every day, took me to […]
