Itu-Agon

This was our first stop: Itu-Agon, one of the three village communities in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. The other two are Igbo-Alejo and Shagbokogi. They are all village communities on an island in the Lagos Lagoon but separated but inlets or channels of water. All three villages lacked basic essential amenities: Clean piped water, electricity, sewage, schools, sanitation, etc.

At Itu-Agon, we alighted from the canoe around 11:30 am and an escort took us to meet the baale (the chief) by name of Lot Ijuesan. Garbage was strewn everywhere. Bleating goats scurried across garbage dumps and naked children played nearby. A few village councillors joined the chief and we were seated in his hall. Thompson explained the purpose of our mission to the chief in Yoruba language, which I do not understand. He then presented the chief with a a bottle of gin and a bottle of whiskey. It is a customary tradition to present an African chief with such token gift to signify friendship and goodwill. It is not mandatory but customarily accepted as an affirmation of the authority of the chief.

Through an interpreter, I explained the purpose of my visit: That the Hedge Funds community on Wall Street, New York, in collaboration with the Free Africa Foundation, seek to establish a “Malaria-Free Zone” in one the villages. They asked what are hedge funds, who are the people in the hedge funds community, what does the Free Africa Foundation do, where are the Hedge Funds and the Free Africa Foundation located, etc. I asked myself: “How do I explain all these in a language I don't understand?” But Thompson came to my rescue and they seemed satisfied with his answers. The chief then thanked us for considering his village for the malaria-free zone project. He affirmed the endemic infestation of mosquitoes and malaria. He then led us on a tour of the village, after posing for photographs with us.

The Baale's Place of Business

The Baale (Second From Left) and His Councillors/Advisors

The village was a collection of dwellings constructed out of rusting corrugated iron sheets. There was a scattering of cement structures. Open, dirt pathways crisscrossed the village. I snapped pictures as we went along. There were no schools or piped water. Clean water is brought in by canoe and stored in large plastic containers. I was told a few enterprising individuals sell water from their storage containers.

A Typical Dwelling

The Village Environs

Plumes of smoke enshrouded the village, giving an indication of its primary economic activity: Fishing and fish/shrimp smoking. Shrimp and small fish are caught in the Lagos Lagoon using nets and then carefully laid out on mats to dry. Upon drying, the mats are placed on elevated wooden bars, supported by short beams that have been hammered into the ground. Under the mats, stacks of special type of wood are placed and lit but never allowed to flame - only to smoulder and produce billows of smoke. It is for this purpose that a special type of wood is used to produce the desired results. Some of the smoking was done in the open but most were done under short thatched roof structures - about 3 to 4 feet high - with the aim of trapping as much smoke around the fish/shrimp as possible.

After the tour, we headed back to the chief's residence. We thanked him for taking us around and assured him that we would give due consideration of their plight. We bid them farewell, boarded the canoe and headed for the next village.

Recommendation/Assessment: The source of the mosquito infestation problem was the ebb and flow of the Lagos Lagoon. During high tide, parts of the village are flooded but when the tide recedes or ebbs, it leaves behind large pools of stagnant water which allow mosquitoes to breed. Again, the supply of insecticide-treated bed nets, sprays and anti-malarial drugs would ease the problem but a viable long term solutions will entail the construction of an earthen dyke to keep high tide water out of the village - as in New Orleans or Holland. This dyke can be constructed by “communal labor.” The village chief could lead a community development effort, mobilizing the young men of the village for this effort. Further, shallow standing pools of water can be covered with sand from the beach. Such sanding operations can be done once every six months or so under the direction of the chief. Similarly with garbage disposal and clean up. A site can be designated as garbage dump.

The Children of Itu-Agon