Rainy season: Best time to look for a home in Lagos, Nigeria

GarriPeople


Home | Home and gardening | ( 1 ) | Subscribe

Posted by Julius on Wednesday July 13, 2011 14:53:46:

If you witnessed the flood that happened a few days ago in Lagos, Nigeria, you would only but feel pity for the many people who have been sacked from their homes as a result of the serious rain. It was more than just ordinary rain.
For some, it was scary and almost like the flood that happened in Japan but thank God it didn't come to that but it probably flooded may homes are a result of the following reasons:
- Lagos is an island and close to the Atlantic ocean
- Lagos is the biggest city in Nigeria, it's commercial nerve but rates very low on drainage efficiency
- Most roads and housing spots are not properly planned and constructed
- Effect of global warming is increasing water levels around the world

I was surprised as even my street was flooded but due to better drainage system, our experience was a bit fair and residents could at least drive around with their cars. It was almost imaginable when I got stories from people about places like Ikoyi, VI and Lekki and Ikorodu to see serious flood in action, one would only have to ask, "Why do people live in such areas?".

Why is land and housing much more expensive in areas like Lekki, V/I and Ikoyi when they really have a much poorer drainage system like my place in Surulere? It seems that now with the growing unease about global warming, rising sea level, worrisome flooding in areas like those, the price of housing or people's preference for getting homes around such flood prone areas is definitely going to drop lower. I think accommodation fees and rent is really going to drop and if you are used to being a tenant or looking for a new home, the best time to do so in during the raining season in Nigeria. This normally happens around June to September. It is a good time to make some investigation during these period so that when you do want to move, you would be moving to a great home.

Would you really want to get a home so close to the ocean especially during the rainy season? Would a reasonable person really want to live in a place that has a poor drainage system in this 21st century given the natural disasters occurring around our world. It seems that the earth is really getting too old and relatively unstable given the rate at which global warming is happening and the fact that developed nations are not yet fully interested in reversing this trend by diverting away from fossil fuels. If you live on an island, perhaps its time for you to move inland and if you live flood prone areas, now is the best time to go to a safe home.

Will the the cost of rent really go lower in a developing city like Lagos given the growing rate of flooding and poor drainage? I think it will as home seekers are more likely to get smarter and wiser when making their long term decisions for a new home.