BY BAMIDELE FAMOOFO
Lagos, the most populous city in Nigeria, is now the world’s fourth most uncomfortable city to live in this year, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The report which was disclosed by Financial Derivatives Company Limited indicated that stability, infrastructure, culture and environment, and healthcare were used as the five human development parameters to determine this ranking.
According to the survey, Lagos received scores of 20 percent for stability, 20.8 percent for healthcare, 44.9 percent for culture and environment, 25 percent for education, and 46.4 percent for infrastructure, with 1 being the worst possible score and 100 being the best for each indicator.
“Lagos remained among the top 5 most uncomfortable cities in the world due to the presence of pervasive corruption and persistent infrastructural issues within its walls.
“However, improvements in the city’s healthcare and education have enhanced its comfortability, causing it to fall from its previous rank as the second most uncomfortable city to live in.
“Out of 173 cities taken into consideration, Damascus (Syria) ranked at the bottom of the list followed closely by Tripoli (Libya), which secured the 172nd spot. The third-worst city in terms of comfortability was Algiers (Algeria), which ranked at 171st place.
“Lagos, Nigeria and Karachi, Pakistan also fared poorly, occupying the 170th and 169th positions respectively.
“Despite additional funding for infrastructure and public services, Lagos still encounters many challenges in improving the standard of living of its residents. The city is plagued by traffic that reduces productivity, pollution that worsen health and environmental hazards, poor access to electricity and high cost of living (rent, food, transport, energy),” the report said.