Nigeria Lesson Plan

INQUIRY QUESTION:

How is Nigerian transportation different from transportation in the U.S.?

OBJECTIVES:

Students will understand traffic and transportation problems Nigerians face.

Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
Standard 4: Physical and human characteristics of places.

Human-Environment Interaction
Movement
Place

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES:

Visual Spatial
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Bodily Kinesthetic

MATERIALS:

Masking tape
Blank maps of Nigeria with city names
Nigerian map with airports, railroads, and highways (for teacher's answer key)
Nigerian population map
Nigerian topography map
Student interviews
Pencils/Paper or Notebook
Photos of Nigerian vehicles

ACTIVITY:

I. Writing or Oral Brainstorming:

What kinds of problems do we face in our own traffic? If the age group that you are working with does not drive, ask them to think of problems that they have seen riding with their parents or relatives. What kinds of traffic problems could arise in the developing world/Nigeria? Ask questions about driving in the U.S. and some of the differences around the world. Give examples of different signs and driving laws: British drive on the left-hand side, roundabouts, and other oddities from U.S. driving methods.

Discuss the logical way to travel on roads. Ask for examples of people breaking the "norm" on driving in the U.S., and ask why these things are that way.

Examples:

A farmer drives a truck out into a field. Why? To get corn loaded from a combine.
A driver decided to make a U-turn. Why? He/she missed the turn.
Speed limits, why do we follow them? For fear of getting a ticket, fine, etc.

II. (These activities can be done prior to or following lessons on population distribution. If done prior to population, the inquiry questions can center on discovering clues on the transportation maps that would predict high population centers. If done after information on population was discussed, the question could be to decide where money would be most effectively spent to repair or construct new highways, airports or rail lines.)

• On a map of Nigeria locate the following cities and mark them with a symbol that would indicate an airport (airplane or geometric symbol):

Abuja, Calabar, Enugu, Jos, Lagos, Maiduguri, Benin City, Port Harcourt, Yola, Makurdi, Ilorin, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano.

• Brainstorm why airports would be located in these cities. Is one area more highly serviced than another? What may be the reason for this?



• On the same map of Nigeria draw lines between the following cities indicating rail lines:
  Lagos to Kano, Port Harcourt to Kaduna with a spur to Maiduguri starting 50 miles WSW of Jos, Zaria to Kaura Namoda, Kano to Nguru.
  

• Brainstorm why railways would be in these areas. Through what type of terrain does each lie?



• On the same map draw lines and label as interstate highways (carriageways or divided highways) from these cities:
  Lagos to Ibadan, Ibadan to Benin City, Enugu to Port Harcourt.



• Brainstorm again why these highways would be of importance and how they would impact the economy.

• Compare this map to a population map. What conclusions can you draw? Did the population map reflect the need for transportation? Compare this map to a vegetation/topography map. What conclusions can you draw? Did the topography map give any indications as to why transportation routes are located where they are? Looking at the population distribution, topography and climate maps, where would money be most wisely spent in Nigeria? For repair on existing roads, railways or airports or the construction of new ones?

  
  

III. For 2-3 days or longer, have the students keep individual travel journals that list the following: date and time, purpose of trip, mode of transportation, miles driven/ walked/bicycled, road conditions (excellent, good, poor, under construction).

Have them compare their travel experience with what they might find in Nigeria by using the student interviews also located at this website. Compare the modes of transportation that students in their community use to get to school to the ways students in Nigeria get to school.

Have them write up their reflections on what this information tells them about the culture of the U.S. compared to that of Nigeria.

IV. Using the photos of cars, buses, taxis and danfos in Nigeria, have the students look for pictures of taxis and buses in their community.

• Compare and contrast transportation in Nigeria to that in their community. What factors would account for the similarities? What factors would account for the differences? Use a Venn diagram to illustrate this.
• Divide the class into small groups. Assign each group a country or region of the world. Countries may vary but include countries from all continents and socioeconomic levels (for example: Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, France, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Syria). Have each group look for modes of transportation in encyclopedias or National Geographic magazines. Compare Nigeria to other African countries; to other Third World countries; to European, Asian, and Central/South American countries. What similarities can be found? Is transportation related to wealth, population, climate or topography?
• Have each group present their findings to the class. Build a graph that compares types of transportation, population, size of the country, gross national product, length of roadways and railways.

V. Discus the role transportation plays in our lives.

• Use a "spider" with the theme "transportation" in the middle. Ask the students to think of categories of transportation, such as air, rail, highway, city, etc. Ask the students to think of what types of vehicles use each type of transportation.(airlines, air freight, truck, semis, tankers, refrigerator trucks, freight trains, passenger trains, city busses, school busses, intracity buses, taxis, private cars and vans, bicycles, foot, motorcycles, mopeds).
• Divide the students into groups of two or three, have them brainstorm the role of each type of transportation, i.e. recreational, transportation of goods vs. people on airlines and what benefits are gained from each.
• Compare the use of transportation in Nigeria. What does the lack of reliable modes of transportation mean to Nigeria in relationship to the role it plays in the U.S.? What does the use of recreational vehicles say about the U.S. in comparison to Nigeria? How does the lack or abundance of transportation systems affect a countries progress/wealth/health?

2. The first activity will show what traffic might be like in an uncontrolled situation.

Each student will be given an assignment to do once the whistle has been blown. Assign a number of students to the following motions: stop, slow down, turn to the left or turn to the right, or turn around. Discuss with students what problems occurred. After discussing, repeat the activity to see if the students can find an alternative to running into each other such as communication (hand signals, horns, talking), waiting for each other, taking turns, going outside of the "road" area, etc. After the second time is tried ask the students to think about what we use to control traffic flows in the U.S. Traffic lights and stop signs do some of the work, but as we know, some people still do not always follow them. Another activity you could do is for the teacher to be a police office and stop selected students giving them a "shakedown". Ask questions such as "Why is your tail light out?" or "May I see your drivers license?" After completing this activity discuss the problems that developed along the roadside disrupting the flow of traffic.

3. Use tape creating an intersection where two roads intersect. This activity is to show how traffic lights aid in the flow of traffic. Appoint a student to act as a traffic light. That person will decide which road may cross the intersection. This demonstrates the controlled traffic situation found in the U.S.

4. The next activity is to experiment with a four way uncontrolled intersections using four students. At first, allow the students to approach the intersection (at safe speeds) all at the same time. They will either collide in the center or slow down to allow others to pass through the middle. Then add four more students for a total of eight. Keep adding four students at a time until the entire class has participated.

5. Ask what things we use to control traffic at intersections. Have one person serve as a traffic officer and allow them to dictate how the traffic will flow. Mention that you notice how orderly the traffic can flow with a traffic officer. If the traffic is still not flowing well, suggest things they could do to improve traffic flow and safety.

ASSESSMENTS:

1. After the activity debrief the class by asking them to write about the activity. Ask them what their role in the activity was, what they thought was hard to do, what was frustrating, what could be done to make it easier or safer, etc.

2. Have the students design a transportation system for Nigeria for the future. It must include the following elements: how climate will affect it, how topography will affect it, how much it will cost the individual traveling. With the use of maps and/or other props, have the students present their proposal to the class. This activity could include artwork and three-dimensional models.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CLIMATE AND TERRAIN

Motorized travel in Nigeria can be a challenge. It is limited by several factors. Lack of resources make improvement and repair of roads, boat docks, airports and railways difficult. Topography is another restrictive factor. The arid areas to the north are much different from the tropical rain forest in the south and delta area with each area having unique problems. Being the furthest from oil supply, the north often suffers from lack of fuel. Lack of funding to bridge many of the small rivers limits travel in the Delta region to boats. Nigeria's climate is also a factor. Many roads have little or no effective drainage; very few have culverts or side ditches. With frequent heavy downpours during the rainy season (April to October) many roads become impassable, as the water has no place to go. This causes flooding that erodes the roadways. Without funds to maintain roads, many are in a constant state of disrepair. (Refer to lessons on topography and climate.)

Adding to the weather and terrain, roads typically have few or no speed limit signs or warning signs to alert the motorist of curves, hills, intersections or problems with the road itself such as large potholes or eroded road beds.. Law enforcement is minimal except for sporadic roadblocks of armed policemen who check for registrations and other "irregularities".

CAR OWNERSHIP

Few people own private cars. The cost of maintenance is prohibitive to most Nigerians. If long distance transportation is needed, most will likely hire a car and driver for the day or for an out-of-town trip. The car usually belongs to the driver or to a business. The drivers are skilled but rarely licensed since licensor is non-existent. Another way to travel is to stand by the side of the road until someone in a car or truck stops. Early in the morning and late in the afternoon, at points of intersections of main roads, there can be a long line of people standing at strategic spots, usually a wide spot in the road. These are commuters who are waiting for rides. Private cars will stop and a price will be negotiated for the ride. This informal system of carpooling has two benefits. The rider gets to his/her destination and the driver receives some money for his (rarely her) trouble in making transportation costs less. Traveling for recreational purposes is limited to those in the highest wage brackets.

INTERSTATE TRAVEL

What are called "interstate" highways in the U. S., are called carriageways in Nigeria. There are not many miles of divided highways in Nigeria. The primary routes go from Lagos to Ibadan, Ibadan to Benin City, and Port Harcourt to Enugu. There is no speed limit on them and very few access ramps. It is common to see cars and vans driving through the median to cross into oncoming traffic in order to make a left turn. It is also common for many breakdowns. Drivers uproot small clumps of vegetation from the ditches and place them on the roadway in order to warn traffic to merge around the stalled vehicle much like triangular warning signs used by truck drivers in the U.S. Drivers passing the stalled vehicle often create a slowdown. Other drivers avoid this slowdown by driving through the median, often a small ditch 2- or 3-feet deep, and proceeding along the left shoulder of oncoming traffic. If oncoming traffic is thin, the drivers often drive in the inside lane. Those oncoming vehicles must then merge into the right lane and/or the outside shoulder. Once past the obstruction the cars are driven back through the median to the correct side of the road.

As with city traffic, the horn is the most used tool on the car. One honk lets the car ahead of you know you want to pass, another honk is given after passing to let them know you appreciated their attention while you were passing. Horns are also honked to show irritation and to warn other drivers and/or pedestrians that may be in a direct line of contact. Driving without honking the horn is considered discourteous and dangerous.

TRAVELING AT NIGHT

Driving at night is only for the brave - or foolhardy - for two reasons. First, it is not considered manly (very few women drive in Nigeria or, if they do, they don't drive very long distances) to drive with one's lights on lest they put stress on the battery or show that one's eyesight is not good. Second, armed bandits are frequently on the carriageways and on other main roads at night. With very few overhead lights, the lack of headlights and the potential for armed robbery makes night driving very stressful as well as imprudent.

MASS TRANSPORTATION

Buses run between most major cities. Formal and informal bus depots located at the edge of the city closest to the city of destination. Passengers congregate at the location during the morning and negotiate a price. Once a bus has enough passengers going to a certain destination, the bus will leave. If there is not enough daylight left to travel safely, some buses will delay departure until the next day or travel only part of the distance before stopping for the evening. Passengers must provide their own food and sleeping arrangements. Often the buses are filled beyond recommended capacity. Buses are owned privately or by companies who run them primarily for their employees.

Another inter-city mode of transportation is a small truck commonly called a "mammy wagon." These are used to carry goods from city to city, but they often fill up any extra space with passengers. These trucks are colorfully decorated with sayings painted on the sides such as "Jesus saves. Slow down, save lives." All prices are negotiable. Riding on a mammy wagon is cheaper than a bus but is not as comfortable. (Comfort in either mode of transportation is relative!)

CITY TRANSPORTATION

In-town transportation comes in a variety of forms. Modes of transportation include, taxis, taxi-vans commonly called "danfos," private cars that are hired out by the day with a driver, personal family cars, scooters, and by foot. All fares are negotiable depending upon the number in the party and the distance to be traveled. Fares are also dependent on whether the passengers are Nigerian or foreigners. The average taxi is a small car, which seats four people and the driver. A danfo is a van which seats seven people and the driver. This does not mean that more people will not be accommodated; often both taxis and danfos carry as many passengers as can squeeze into the vehicle. Danfos have an additional staff member. He is the "conductor" who arranges fare agreements and keeps track of delivery points. He is often to be seen holding onto the frame of the van while hanging out the door in order to locate potential fares. Taxis and danfos charge an average of 25-50 Naira (= U.S.$0.25-$0.50) per rider. Scooters operate in the evening in certain locations. They often do not use their headlights, but due to limited traffic they are able to navigate relatively safely. They are used for short distances, and charge 10 Naira (U.S.$0.10) per rider, and they can hold up to two passengers in addition to the driver.

AIR TRAVEL

Nine airlines have regularly scheduled flights between Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Yola, Calabar, and Port Harcourt. Airfares vary from $25 to $40 but since the average household income is only $300 per year, very few Nigerians can afford to fly. Travel to Europe is even more cost prohibitive at $1000-$1500, a full three to five years income! There are three international airports, Lagos, Kano and Abuja, none of which had been sanctioned for travel by the U.S. government due to lack of security as well as lack of maintenance. Recent events have indicated the Lagos airport (Murtala Mohammed International) is being reconsidered for the reopening of service by U.S. air carriers in the near future.

RAIL TRAVEL

Rail travel is erratic and often undependable. There are 3500 kilometers (2187.5 miles) of rail lines with the main routes from Lagos to Kano, Port Harcourt to Kaduna with a spur to Maiduguri, Zaria to Kaura Namoda, and Kano to Nguru. The average price per trip is $25 to $40. Spare parts are difficult to find, so when lines, engines or cars are in need of repair the rails may be shut down for several months.

MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION