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Makoko, Lagos, Nigeria

Makoko : A "floating" town on stilts in the center of Lagos. This community was originally created in the middle of Lagos in the 19th century by the Tofinu people of Ganvié, the Venice of Africa, in what is today the neighboring Benin Republic. Makoko is an informal settlement across from the 3rd Mainland Bridge located in central Lagos. The world's media often refer to Makoko as a "shanty town" or a "slum" but it should be noted that the people of Makoko are very unhappy with those words, they resent it and would like it to stop.