Alternative view of Lagos life

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With more than 20 million inhabitants, Lagos is the largest city in Africa. It has energy like no other place – loud, brash, sprawling and densely populated, it is traffic choked and polluted, with an intimidating crime rate and maxed-out public utilities. This is the city where our research participants lived. 

Our job was to understand, for a global pharmaceutical company, how people managed flu and fever – from going to herbalists in outdoor markets, to using messaging apps on smartphones. 

View from above

The people in Lagos work long, hard hours. Many have their own business and, to beat traffic, leave home in the early hours of the morning. Throughout the day they face heat, dust and pollution – all of which take a toll on their immune systems. From their neighbourhoods on the mainland to the roads that lead to the islands, navigating the city is part of the daily grind. Participants explained that the entire ebb and ...