The people of Lagos have repeatedly adapted to economic upheaval, colonial rule, technological transformation and rapid social change.
Distinguished Professor Ayodeji Olukoju and Professor Insa Nolte.
Experts from the University of Birmingham and the University of Lagos welcomed a ‘sold-out’ audience to a flagship event in Lagos that explored the forces that have shaped one of Africa’s major cities.
Hosted by the British Council, the invitation-only event 'Lagos: A City in Motion' brought together Distinguished Professor Ayodeji Olukoju and Dr Felix Oludare Ajiola from the University of Lagos and Professor Insa Nolte from the University of Birmingham.
The trio of academics examined the city through the changing worlds of entrepreneurship, faith and youth livelihoods. Their talks revealed how people have responded to shifting economic opportunities, political structures and technologies.
The story of entrepreneurship in Lagos is one of resilience and adaptability. African businesspeople faced significant constraints, but found ways to innovate, diversify and build networks that helped them navigate economic uncertainty. Their experiences encourage us to think more broadly about what entrepreneurial success really means.
Ayodeji Olukoju explored the development of African entrepreneurship in Lagos, highlighting the importance of commerce, property, banking, agriculture and transport, as well as the city’s position as a port.
African entrepreneurs worked within the structural disadvantages of colonial rule while confronting trade depressions, currency crises, global wars and epidemics. They responded through innovation and diversification, using property, credit and social and religious networks to strengthen their businesses.
Ayodeji Olukoju said: “The story of entrepreneurship in Lagos is one of resilience and adaptability. African businesspeople faced significant constraints, but found ways to innovate, diversify and build networks that helped them navigate economic uncertainty. Their experiences encourage us to think more broadly about what entrepreneurial success really means.”
Lagos’s religious history shows that relations between faith communities were about much more than competition. As colonial rule expanded, African Christians engaged seriously with Islam and Yoruba religion while developing institutions of their own. Religious innovation and collaboration were central to the politics of the city and its hinterland.
Professor Insa Nolte examined relations between African Christians, Muslims and followers of Yoruba religion between the 1880s and 1920s, showing how African Christians mobilised religious change to expand their African networks in response to their growing inclusion from the colonial government.
Her research shows that engagement with Islam and Yoruba religion allowed Christians to develop respectful relationships with members of other faiths. African Christians did not simply regard Islam as a competitor but were inspired by it to form African-led churches independently of missionary organisations. Christians also built alliances with Lagosian Muslims to strengthen their position in relation to the colonial government.
Professor Insa Nolte said: “Lagos’s religious history shows that relations between faith communities were about much more than competition. As colonial rule expanded, African Christians engaged seriously with Islam and Yoruba religion while developing institutions of their own. Religious innovation and collaboration were central to the politics of the city and its hinterland.”
To understand cybercrime among young people in Lagos, we need to look beyond technology. It is connected to a longer history of urban livelihoods and has been shaped by economic pressures, inequality, unemployment and technological change. Understanding those deeper roots is vital to understanding why it persists.
Turning to contemporary Lagos, Felix Oludare Ajiola explored urban culture, politics and youth livelihoods, focusing particularly on the historical development of “Yahoo-Yahoo” cybercrime - a colloquial term originating in Nigeria for internet-enabled fraud and cyber-enabled financial crimes. Cybercrime is not simply a product of the internet but part of a longer history of illicit urban livelihoods.
Economic crises, uneven urban development, unemployment, inequality and political governance have contributed to its prevalence, while the growth of cyber cafés and social media transformed the organisation and reach of fraud. He shows how urban inequalities - driven by the daily struggle to survive and competition for limited jobs and influence - have contributed to the growth of HKs (Hustle Kingdoms) and complex transnational criminal networks, including organised cult groups (OCGs), in contemporary Lagos.
An important dynamic is the changing role of women within the cyber fraud economy. Ajiola notes, that unlike the early-to-mid 2000s, when women typically worked as accomplices rather than principals, they now frequently out-earn their male counterparts in the romance scam segment of the fraud economy - having absorbed the operational knowledge of the men they assisted in the past.
He also examined the role of popular culture, arguing that music and popular language have helped normalise ideas around rapid wealth and the language and culture associated with illicit wealth among parts of the urban youth population.
Felix Oludare Ajiola said: “To understand cybercrime among young people in Lagos, we need to look beyond technology. It is connected to a longer history of urban livelihoods and has been shaped by economic pressures, inequality, unemployment and technological change. Understanding those deeper roots is vital to understanding why it persists.”
Across three different periods and perspectives, Lagos: A City in Motion highlighted a common thread: how Lagos and its people have continually responded to profound economic, political, cultural and technological change.
From entrepreneurs navigating the constraints of the colonial economy and religious communities forging new relationships, to the pressures facing young people in the digital age, the academics’ research offers different perspectives on the forces that have shaped Lagos and continue to transform the city.
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Professor of African Studies
Biographical and contact details for Insa Nolte, Professor of African Studies at the University of Birmingham.
