Enclave urbanism and urban growth complications in sub-Saharan Africa: The Lagos scenario of enclave infrastructure provision and management

Abstract

In the last few decades, cities in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) have experienced a rise in the construction of premium residential enclaves in response to infrastructure deficits, perceived insecurity, overcrowding and “chaos.” Residential enclaves represent an urban ideal that is very distant from existing towns and cities in the Global South, aiming to match the Global North’s urban conditions. Splintering infrastructure and service provision are some of the main features of this development. A perspective from within these urban enclaves is so far mainly missing. In particular, the intricacies of infrastructure provision and management in urban enclaves in the Global South have not been examined in-depth and in context-specific ways. This paper analyses electricity, transport and sewage infrastructure provision and management in three qualitative case studies of urban enclaves in Lagos, focusing on a stakeholder perspective. The findings show scenarios and outcomes of largely self-provisioning of infrastructure across the enclaves, depending on the local governance/management arrangements. Achieving autonomy from infrastructure deficits appears as an ongoing process linked to residents increasingly questioning their relationship with the rest of the city.