Sometimes called "The Venice of Africa," the village of Makoko floats on a lagoon in the heart of Lagos, the financial capital of Nigeria.
Nigerian Lagoon Village Fights to Stay Afloat
![The government calls this sprawling village in the lagoon a shantytown, but residents say Makoko is not just a place, it is a way of life in Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013. Photo: VOA/H. Murdock](https://gdb.voanews.com/0fc682f3-270c-46f2-8f5d-5a5ac15bf148_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The government calls this sprawling village in the lagoon a shantytown, but residents say Makoko is not just a place, it is a way of life in Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013. Photo: VOA/H. Murdock
![Like the better-known city of Venice, the primary way to get around Makoko is by paddling a dug out canoe, Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013. Photo: VOA/H. Murdock](https://gdb.voanews.com/9c8f8f87-65e6-4207-98fb-b9491b7acac6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Like the better-known city of Venice, the primary way to get around Makoko is by paddling a dug out canoe, Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013. Photo: VOA/H. Murdock
![Lagos Lagoon is almost completely surrounded by the city, which is Nigeria's most populous and one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. Photo: VOA/H. Murdoc, Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013](https://gdb.voanews.com/7d15b580-4b2b-4978-9f62-867813cad0d4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Lagos Lagoon is almost completely surrounded by the city, which is Nigeria's most populous and one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. Photo: VOA/H. Murdoc, Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013
![Fisherman Pierre Gotun crafts fishhooks in preparation for a night at sea. He says his father taught him to fish here in Makoko, a community believed to be over 100 years old, Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013. Photo: VOA/H. Murdock. ](https://gdb.voanews.com/b7e3061b-f310-4d46-a65e-d8a73f73bc05_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Fisherman Pierre Gotun crafts fishhooks in preparation for a night at sea. He says his father taught him to fish here in Makoko, a community believed to be over 100 years old, Makoko, Lagos, July 5, 2013. Photo: VOA/H. Murdock.