Overview

Livelihood in Colonial Lagos initiates a new line of historical investigation into colonial urban culture, focused on the intersections between daily living and the urban experience. It examines the livelihood challenges that Africans faced between 1861 and 1960 due to the urban planning and development policies of the British government in colonial Lagos. It historicizes the urban livelihood strategies in the informal sector, and it explores how the flow of social capital mitigated the challenges faced by both migrants to and indigenes of Lagos in that time period. Monsuru Muritala illuminates the economic and social history of Lagos with special emphasis on the coping mechanisms adopted by the people under colonial rule.

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9781498582148

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This book is an interpretive and impressive coverage of issues pertaining to the story of urbanization and livelihood in Lagos from the dawn of British colonialism in 1861 to the end of colonial rule in 1960. In a clear, accessible and scholarly manner, the author has explored the nexus between modern urbanization processes and socio-economic change in a dynamic African city. Monsuru Muritala, in his study of Livelihood in Colonial Lagos has, therefore, provided a coherent and intellectually stimulating analysis and interpretation of the human dimensions of history in an African setting confronted with fundamental change. The work is an impressive result of the best of historical scholarship in the 21st century. It is an essential and indispensable book for African and Africanist scholars worldwide. -- Olutayo C. Adesina, University of Ibadan This is an in-depth study of one century of Lagos social history. It explains the paradox of the city, the character of its people and the connection between colonialism and urbanization. It gives insight into the background of the contemporary problems of Lagos namely unemployment, insecurity, housing deficit, gender inequality and social stratification. The methodology is a model for historians in the fields of urban and social history. -- Rufus Taiwo Akinyele, University of Lagos Livelihood in Colonial Lagos uses of a wide range of sources (including archival materials, newspapers, and oral evidence) to shed light of how Lagosians of the 1920s through the 1950s negotiated social and economic barriers as they sought to maximize the gains of colonial urbanization. The author draws conclusion from verifiable sources and presents complex ideas in an engaging manner. Throughout the book, he embeds his narrative in relevant theoretical and conceptual frameworks without compromising empiricism. The beautiful craft of history writing comes to light in the way he allows social history to speak to economic, political, and imperial issues in one of Britain's most important urban locations. -- Saheed Aderinto, Western Carolina University

This book is an interpretive and impressive coverage of issues pertaining to the story of urbanization and livelihood in Lagos from the dawn of British colonialism in 1861 to the end of colonial rule in 1960. In a clear, accessible and scholarly manner, the author has explored the nexus between modern urbanization processes and socio-economic change in a dynamic African city. Monsuru Muritala, in his study of Livelihood in Colonial Lagos has, therefore, provided a coherent and intellectually stimulating analysis and interpretation of the human dimensions of history in an African setting confronted with fundamental change. The work is an impressive result of the best of historical scholarship in the 21st century. It is an essential and indispensable book for African and Africanist scholars worldwide. -- Olutayo C. Adesina, University of Ibadan

Author Information

Monsuru Muritala is senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Ibadan.

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