Nigeria: In Lagos, urban walks raise awareness about the disappearance of natural spaces.

On a Saturday morning, about ten participants walked through the neighborhood under the guidance of Monai McCullough, an independent ecology researcher. This American specialist, who has been living in Nigeria for three years, organizes walks to showcase the vegetation that once covered this part of the city.

Victoria Island was once bordered by a tropical forest and a mangrove. The latter served as a natural protection against the sea’s assaults before being gradually replaced by roads, residences, and office buildings.The absence of vegetation, which usually slows down rainwater runoff, combined with inadequate drainage systems, has led to significant flooding in several areas of Lagos in recent weeks.“Our nature is beautiful, but it is also precious and essential to our infrastructure,” she explains. According to her, urban planning does not sufficiently consider the place of trees and plants.## Heat, another consequenceWooded areas can be three to five degrees cooler than spaces devoid of vegetation, according to Joseph Onoja, director of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. This difference creates a cascading effect with more pronounced heat waves and increased health risks.In Victoria Island, participants try to find traces of this lost environment between modern facades and construction sites. The researcher hopes to contribute to better recognition of vegetation in the planning of a metropolis facing rapid urbanization.