'Little spaces' make big difference in megacity Lagos

Lagos

FOR Monica Zunnyi-Abu, hosting her son's 10th birthday party in an unremarkable park in Nigeria's financial capital Lagos proved to be a revelation.

The small, rectangular Ndubuisi Kanu Park includes a well-groomed lawn, a jungle gym, a basketball court and some umbrella-shaded seats, with two small canteens at each end.

Surrounded by government buildings and a busy road, the park offers little seclusion from the constant noise of a congested and over-crowded megacity that is home to some 20 million people.

But it represents the kind of green space that is flourishing across this west African city - typically tiny and tucked amid masses of concrete.

The Lagos state government admits that its green initiative has been hampered by a shortage of space, and has tried to install parks wherever possible, on congested roundabouts…