Page 72 - ie2 August 2019

WORLDVIEW

year 2018. India being one of the leading
suppliers to Nigeria, the Nigerian author-
ities are encouraging the participation of Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo
Indian firms. Nigeria accounts for about
17 percent of India’s engineering export sector to exchange information, products,
to the African Continent. services and ideas towards achieving the
health-related Millennium Development Goals
Lagos, most-populous city and other developmental initiatives in Nigeria
Lagos, which will host the 5th Nigeria and the West African region.
The 5th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’
Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo 2019, is a Expo 2019 is an excellent trade platform for
city in the Nigerian state of Lagos. The India machineries and engineering equipments
city, with its adjoining conurbation, is for the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on
the most populous in Nigeria and on the Central and West African markets and present-
African continent. It is one of the fast- ing a promising platform to Indian exporters
est-growing cities in the world and one to assist in international trade. Over 4000
of the most populous urban areas. Lagos pharma trade professionals from across the
is a major financial centre in Africa; the region including Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Chad,
megacity has the fourth-highest GDP in Cameroon, EQ Guinea, Central African Repub-
Africa and houses one of the largest and The Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo, to lic, Senegal, the Gambia, Ivory Coast, Niger,
busiest seaports on the continent. be held over 28-29 August 2019 in Lagos, is Burkina Faso, and Benin amongst others are
Lagos initially emerged as a port city an opportunity for stakeholders in the health expected to attend this exhibition.
that originated on a collection of islands,
which are contained in the present-day
local government areas (LGAs) of Lagos
Island, Eti-Osa, Amuwo-Odofin and Apa- creation. However, the state capital was Africa and potentially, the biggest ICT
pa. The islands are separated by creeks, later moved to Ikeja in 1976, and the fed- market in the continent. Lagos is devel-
fringing the southwest mouth of Lagos eral capital moved to Abuja in 1991. Even oping a 24-hour economy and has also
Lagoon, while being protected from the though Lagos is still widely referred to as been ranked as one of the most expen-
Atlantic Ocean by barrier islands and a city, the present day Lagos, also known sive cities in the world. In some parts of
long sand spits such as Bar Beach, which as Metropolitan Lagos, and officially as Lagos, residents have one of the highest
stretch up to 100 km east and west of the Lagos Metropolitan Area is an urban ag- standards of living in Nigeria and in Af-
mouth. Due to rapid urbanisation, the glomeration or conurbation, consisting rica. At the same time, a sizeable propor-
city expanded to the west of the lagoon of 20 LGAs, 32 LCDAs including Ikeja, tion of the residents live in slums without
to include areas in the present-day Lagos the state capital of Lagos State. This con- access to piped water and sanitation.
Mainland, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and Surul- urbation makes up 37 percent of Lagos The Port of Lagos is Nigeria’s leading
ere. This led to the classification of Lagos State’s total land area, but houses about port and one of the largest and busiest in
into two main areas: the Island, which 85 percent of the state’s total population. Africa. It is administered by the Nigerian
was the initial city of Lagos, before it ex- Ports Authority and it is split into three
panded into the area known as the Main- Economy of Lagos main sections: Lagos port, in the main
land. This city area was governed directly The city of Lagos is a major economic channel next to Lagos Island; Apapa Port,
by the Federal Government through the focal point in Nigeria, generating around site of the container terminal; and Tin
Lagos City Council, until the creation 10 percent of the country’s GDP. Most Can Port, both located in Badagry Creek,
of Lagos State in 1967, which led to the commercial and financial business is car- which flows into Lagos Harbour from the
splitting of Lagos city into the seven ried out in the central business district west. The port features a railhead. The
LGAs, and an addition of other towns situated on the island. This is also where port has seen growing amounts of crude
(which now make up 13 LGAs) from the most of the country’s commercial banks, oil exported, with export figures rising
then Western Region, to form the state. financial institutions and major corpora- between 1997 and 2000. Oil and petrole-
Lagos, the capital of Nigeria since its tions are headquartered. Lagos is also the um products provide 14 percent of GDP
amalgamation in 1914, went on to be- major information communications and and 90 percent of foreign exchange earn-
come the capital of Lagos State after its telecommunications (ICT) hub of West ings in Nigeria as a whole.

72 l INDIAN ENGINEERING EXPORTS l AUGUST 2019