by Tyler Cowen
A trip is often defined yesteryear its surprises, together with then hither are my biggest revelations from 6 days inwards Lagos, Nigeria.
Most of all, I establish Lagos to live on much safer than advertised. It is oftentimes described every bit ane of the most unsafe cities on earth. Many people told me I was crazy to become there, together with some Nigerian expats warned me I powerfulness non function out of the aerodrome alive.
The reality is that I walked but about freely together with inwards many parts of town. I didn’t endeavour to become everywhere or at all hours, together with I may pick out been lucky. Yet non ane time did I experience threatened, together with I strongly suspect that a trip to Lagos is safer than a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a major tourist destination. (In my commencement trip to Rio I was attacked yesteryear children amongst pointed sticks. In my minute I establish myself caught inwards a gunfight betwixt drug lords). Many Lagos residents credit the advent of closed-circuit television set cameras for their security improvements.
So if you’re an experienced traveler, together with tempted to take in Africa’s largest together with arguably most dynamic city, don’t permit security concerns live on a bargain killer.
The surprises mount. For all the negative publicity, many parts of Nigeria, specially Lagos, could together with should serve every bit exemplars for religious tolerance.
The reports of Boko Haram together with terror killings are good known, together with they reverberate the interlocking together with sometimes deadly combinations of regional, religious, sectarian together with ethnic identities inwards the country, non to get upward extreme inequalities of income together with opportunity. Yet Nigeria has virtually 180 ane G m people together with is larger than Texas. The violence is the most oftentimes reported storey inwards the West, but the underlying reality is far to a greater extent than complex together with shows positive features.
For instance, the metropolis of Lagos is inwards many regards a marvel of religious tolerance. Nigeria is virtually fifty per centum Muslim together with twoscore per centum Christian, together with the surface area surrounding Lagos is too highly mixed inwards price of religion. That may audio similar a recipe for trouble, but inwards matters of faith Lagos is almost solely peaceful. Religious intermarriage is mutual together with commonly non problematic, every bit is the illustration inwards many (not all) other parts of Nigeria every bit well. Many overstep Nigerian politicians pick out married exterior their religion, kept 2 form out religions inwards the household unit of measurement together with enjoyed continued political success.
Consider the scale together with speed of this achievement. Lagos, amongst a population of virtually xx million, is larger than many countries. It is the most commercially oriented work of Nigeria, together with it grew together with then large only inwards the terminal few decades, every bit it attracted entrepreneurially minded people from many parts of Nigeria together with other African countries. By ane estimate, 85 novel residents brand it every hour. That may audio chaotic, but inwards essence Nigeria has inwards a few decades created an almost solely new, country-sized metropolis built on the ideals together with practise of religious tolerance. The electrical current president, Muhammadu Buhari, is a Muslim who was supported inwards his election yesteryear many Christian leaders, on the grounds that he would struggle corruption to a greater extent than effectively. His running mate served every bit a Pentecostal pastor.
The recent history of Nigeria, Lagos inwards particular, is too a counterweight to some recent Western political trends. Many Westerners today fearfulness resurgent nationalism, every bit illustrated yesteryear the U.K.'s vote to leave of absence the EU together with the election of Donald Trump.
In Nigeria, nationalism is largely a progressive force, bringing the province together together with allowing nation-building together with infrastructure development. However imperfect or backward these processes powerfulness live on -- Nigeria has at to the lowest degree 270 distinct ethnic groups together with 370 languages -- inwards Nigeria ane is rooting for nationalism to succeed. And it’s inwards Lagos, the country’s largest together with most of import window to the exterior world, where the agreement of the importance of a mutual together with stable national identity has made such progress.
Many Westerners used to regard much of Africa backward inwards this regard, but nosotros Westerners are learning over again that national cohesion isn’t e'er together with then easy. Perhaps the political spectrum inwards many Western countries tin realign itself inwards a direction analogous to some features of Nigeria, to ally liberalism together with nationalism ane time again.
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This article commencement appeared on Bloomberg.Com
***
Tyler Cowen is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a professor of economic science at George Mason University together with writes for the weblog Marginal Revolution. His books include “Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation.”
Follow Tyler on Twitter @tylercowen Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/
A trip is often defined yesteryear its surprises, together with then hither are my biggest revelations from 6 days inwards Lagos, Nigeria.
Most of all, I establish Lagos to live on much safer than advertised. It is oftentimes described every bit ane of the most unsafe cities on earth. Many people told me I was crazy to become there, together with some Nigerian expats warned me I powerfulness non function out of the aerodrome alive.
The reality is that I walked but about freely together with inwards many parts of town. I didn’t endeavour to become everywhere or at all hours, together with I may pick out been lucky. Yet non ane time did I experience threatened, together with I strongly suspect that a trip to Lagos is safer than a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a major tourist destination. (In my commencement trip to Rio I was attacked yesteryear children amongst pointed sticks. In my minute I establish myself caught inwards a gunfight betwixt drug lords). Many Lagos residents credit the advent of closed-circuit television set cameras for their security improvements.
So if you’re an experienced traveler, together with tempted to take in Africa’s largest together with arguably most dynamic city, don’t permit security concerns live on a bargain killer.
The surprises mount. For all the negative publicity, many parts of Nigeria, specially Lagos, could together with should serve every bit exemplars for religious tolerance.
The reports of Boko Haram together with terror killings are good known, together with they reverberate the interlocking together with sometimes deadly combinations of regional, religious, sectarian together with ethnic identities inwards the country, non to get upward extreme inequalities of income together with opportunity. Yet Nigeria has virtually 180 ane G m people together with is larger than Texas. The violence is the most oftentimes reported storey inwards the West, but the underlying reality is far to a greater extent than complex together with shows positive features.
For instance, the metropolis of Lagos is inwards many regards a marvel of religious tolerance. Nigeria is virtually fifty per centum Muslim together with twoscore per centum Christian, together with the surface area surrounding Lagos is too highly mixed inwards price of religion. That may audio similar a recipe for trouble, but inwards matters of faith Lagos is almost solely peaceful. Religious intermarriage is mutual together with commonly non problematic, every bit is the illustration inwards many (not all) other parts of Nigeria every bit well. Many overstep Nigerian politicians pick out married exterior their religion, kept 2 form out religions inwards the household unit of measurement together with enjoyed continued political success.
Consider the scale together with speed of this achievement. Lagos, amongst a population of virtually xx million, is larger than many countries. It is the most commercially oriented work of Nigeria, together with it grew together with then large only inwards the terminal few decades, every bit it attracted entrepreneurially minded people from many parts of Nigeria together with other African countries. By ane estimate, 85 novel residents brand it every hour. That may audio chaotic, but inwards essence Nigeria has inwards a few decades created an almost solely new, country-sized metropolis built on the ideals together with practise of religious tolerance. The electrical current president, Muhammadu Buhari, is a Muslim who was supported inwards his election yesteryear many Christian leaders, on the grounds that he would struggle corruption to a greater extent than effectively. His running mate served every bit a Pentecostal pastor.
The recent history of Nigeria, Lagos inwards particular, is too a counterweight to some recent Western political trends. Many Westerners today fearfulness resurgent nationalism, every bit illustrated yesteryear the U.K.'s vote to leave of absence the EU together with the election of Donald Trump.
In Nigeria, nationalism is largely a progressive force, bringing the province together together with allowing nation-building together with infrastructure development. However imperfect or backward these processes powerfulness live on -- Nigeria has at to the lowest degree 270 distinct ethnic groups together with 370 languages -- inwards Nigeria ane is rooting for nationalism to succeed. And it’s inwards Lagos, the country’s largest together with most of import window to the exterior world, where the agreement of the importance of a mutual together with stable national identity has made such progress.
Many Westerners used to regard much of Africa backward inwards this regard, but nosotros Westerners are learning over again that national cohesion isn’t e'er together with then easy. Perhaps the political spectrum inwards many Western countries tin realign itself inwards a direction analogous to some features of Nigeria, to ally liberalism together with nationalism ane time again.
***
This article commencement appeared on Bloomberg.Com
***
Tyler Cowen is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a professor of economic science at George Mason University together with writes for the weblog Marginal Revolution. His books include “Average Is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation.”
Follow Tyler on Twitter @tylercowen Sumber http://www.dnbstories.com/