Makoko, Like Venice: Floating City, Living Heritage

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By Nwafor Oji Awala

On a quiet afternoon, I stumbled across a video of Makoko on Facebook: a community balanced on stilts above the Lagos Lagoon, where children paddle canoes with ease and families carve out their lives in harmony with the water. Watching it, my mind immediately wandered to Venice, the Italian city renowned as the "City of Canals." Suddenly, it struck me: Nigeria has its own Venice, but unlike its European counterpart, it remains under-celebrated and hidden behind labels of poverty.

Makoko: A City on Water


Makoko, often called the "Venice of Africa," is a settlement with roots tracing back to the early 19th century, when fishermen from Togo and Benin made it their home. Today, the community has grown into a labyrinth of wooden houses built on stilts, connected by narrow waterways where canoes serve as the lifeblood of daily movement. Estimates put the population as high as 250,000, a remarkable concentration of people whose lives are shaped by, and deeply tied to, water.

To the outside eye, Makoko may appear as an informal sprawl, but to those who dwell there, it is a testament to resilience and ingenuity. It is a place where the environment is not conquered but embraced, where homes and livelihoods adapt seamlessly to the lagoon’s tides.

Venice: A Global Icon

Across the Mediterranean, Venice tells a parallel story. Born out of necessity as people fled invaders, it grew into a city that not only survived but became a hub of trade, culture, and art. Today, it attracts more than 20 million visitors a year, its gondolas and canals celebrated worldwide. Venice is proof that life on water is not a hindrance but a heritage that can inspire wonder, creativity, and economic growth.

The Cultural and Economic Promise of Makoko


If Makoko were reimagined not as a "slum" but as a cultural heritage site, what possibilities might emerge?

  • Tourism on Water: Just as visitors flock to Venice for gondola rides, Makoko’s canoe tours could offer a window into a unique way of life. Floating markets, music festivals, and water carnivals could transform it into a cultural attraction.

  • Living Museum of Tradition: Makoko’s fishing heritage, crafts, and oral traditions could be curated as part of Nigeria’s intangible cultural heritage, celebrated and shared with the world.

  • Innovation in Resilience: In a time of climate change and rising seas, Makoko offers lessons in adaptation. Its stilt architecture and water-based community planning could inspire sustainable urban solutions across the globe.

  • Community Empowerment: By recognizing Makoko as cultural heritage, investments could create jobs in eco-tourism, aquaculture, and creative industries; allowing residents to benefit directly from the richness of their environment.

A Floating Heritage Worth Celebrating


Makoko is more than an "informal settlement." It is a living cultural landscape, embodying the interplay of people and water. Where others might see poverty, those with cultural eyes see resilience, creativity, and heritage waiting to be celebrated.

Venice shows us what is possible when a water-based community is embraced, preserved, and elevated. Makoko can be Nigeria’s own jewel of water heritage, if we choose to see it as such.

In a world hungry for authentic cultural experiences, Makoko has the potential to shine as both a symbol of Nigeria’s diversity and a living testimony to human adaptation. It deserves not pity, but recognition, as a floating city of heritage.

(c) Nwafor Oji search 

Prime Heritage Magazine 

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