Lessons from the rubbles of the collapsed 21 storey building
were in traffic along Kingsway Road Ikoyi when my driver who normally keeps to himself while driving, asked a most unusual question. He pointed to a tall building which was being wrapped around with glass, and asked if it was for office or residence. Surprised, I took a second look at the building and answered honestly that I didn’t know but that it could easily be both. I would have been more certain if it had been in the quieter, more serene part of Ikoyi – like Gerrard Road. As for my driver, he probably could not fathom why the rich would now choose to live within the limited confinement of concrete, glass and steel when they can afford to buy as much land as they want. But the emerging high rise buildings in Ikoyi and in the busy cities of the world are a sign of the times. All over the world, the rich are opting for condos and penthouse apartments. What they lose in acreage, they gain in height and superlative luxury. In the case of Lagos, the daily influx of people to the ...