Paper short abstract:

This study examines the perception of young people in a Lagos low-income community about their lived experiences as slum dwellers and their place in a changing world. The study views the community through the eyes of its young, as they envision a future in which they play a catalytic role.

Paper long abstract:

Young people in slums make up a demographic majority in many African cities. They are daily confronted with challenges of poverty and lack of opportunities, and they respond to these in a variety of ways. These experiences also inform their understanding of their place in the city and their aspirations. Understanding the nature of the risks faced by youth in low-income urban areas and how they are impacted by them remain important questions for the future of African cities. This study interrogates - from youth perspectives - challenges and responses to everyday-life in Makoko, a marginalized urban community in Lagos, Nigeria. The study queries the long-held notion that young people should be seen and not heard. By focusing on young people aged between 15-20, we seek to understand (i) How they see themselves in the context of their lived experiences as slum dwellers and as residents of a megacity ; and (ii) How these experiences shape their understanding of their world and their aspirations for the future. Through a series of interviews and focus group discussions, we find that there is a strong place attachment to the slum, hence young people in Makoko see technology and education as tools for empowering themselves to dream as well as create a better future for themselves and their kin.