Say What | Lagos ranked world’s 3rd worst city to live in

A report released yesterday by The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Lagos as the third worst city to live, maintaining its position at the lowest rungs of the Global Liveability index.

Several other global reports had also said that Lagos, with a population of over 22 million, would in the next few years, become the 4th mega city in the world, with a population of over 30 million.

The city placed 138th out of the 140 cities ranked in the latest liveability survey, just above war-ravaged Tripoli and Damascus. “Of the poorer-scoring cities, 13 continue to occupy the very bottom tier of liveability, where ratings fall below 50 percent and most aspects of living are severely restricted.

“Continued threats from groups like Boko Haram acts as a constraint to improving stability in Lagos,’’ the report stated. Escalations in hostilities in Libya prompted a sharp decline in liveability in Tripoli, according to the report, while Damascus, although seeing a stabilisation in its decline, remained rooted to the bottom. The top five best countries to live in, according to the report, remain unchanged from last year and they include Melbourne, Australian; Vienna, Austria; Vancouver, Canada; Toronto, Canada; and Calgary, Canada.

The liveability survey assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions across five broad categories, including stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

Lagos scored highest in culture and environment, followed by infrastructure. It scored lowest in stability. Three other African cities joined Lagos at the bottom rung of the liveable cities, including Douala, Cameroon; Harare, Zimbabwe; and Algiers, Algeria; ranking 132nd, 133rd, and 134th respectively.

While no African city made it to the top 10 most liveable cities, five were in the 10 least liveable cities. Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Information, could not be reached for comments last night as phone calls and text messages to his mobile number yielded no response.