The human cost of building the Dubai of Africa

I'm Ayesha Roscoe and this is a Sunday story from Up First. Lagos Nigeria is one of the world's fastest growing megacities. It's currently home to nearly 20,000,000 people and by the end of the century most vibrant economic hubs in Africa. It has multimillion dollar tech firms, one of the world's biggest film industries, Nollywood, and a thriving music scene centered on Afrobeat. To support the influx of industries and people, new infrastructure and housing projects are being built at a rapid pace. Welcome to Eko Atlantic, the future of African real estate. The Nigerian government is working closely with developers hoping to turn Lagos into a gleaming global destination, much like Dubai. We believe that Eko Atlantic is more than just a city. It's an opportunity to dream, venture, and prosper in a world class environment. But many of these developments are not targeted at housing the residents who need it the most. There's an explosion of luxury high rises and hubs for the wealthy, especially along the waterfront, fueling a push to reclaim land on the coastal lagoons and bays. The problem is much of this land is already home to some of the city's most vulnerable people. And in many cases, it's being violently taken from them. This carrying a machete is pointed out. Me. You're a oh. No. No. No. No. When we come back, the brutal human cost of development in an African megacity. Stay with us. This is Eric Glass. On This American Life, one that we like is a good mystery. Sometimes about really big things, but most times, the little mysteries are the best. Our lost and found is currently filled with pants. I don't know I I I've never seen this happen. Wait. Is this true? This is true. Mysteries of every size each week, This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Ayesha Roscoe, and this is a Sunday story from Up First. Today, we're going to Lagos, a city undergoing a rapid transformation, which is bringing both opportunity and despair. Joining me now is NPR's Africa correspondent, Emmanuel Akinwotu. Emmanuel, welcome. Thanks for having me. And, Emmanuel, you're actually here in DC right now, which is a first for us, for us to be in the same spot even though we've talked a lot. Yeah. But you live in in Lagos. Right? That's right. I've been there for about ten years now. And so I I've never had the opportunity to visit. Paint me a picture of what the city feels like. Well, Lagos is a fascinating place and and really a paradox. You know, it's a city where there are so many dizzying extremes intimately woven together. In a way, it's quite similar to cities like New York or Mumbai. It has this restless energy and entrepreneurialism really everywhere you turn. Virtually everyone has a quote unquote side hustle here. You know, you go to the bank and the teller helping you is working there during …