Makoko 2035: An Encyclopedia

Science and Engineering

Post-colonial Nigeria was marked by what many in the science and engineering communities have called "technological backwardness." This backwardness was the result of indigenous peoples being prevented by their colonizers from learning and participating in technological production, which resulted in the simultaneous disconnection of workers and craftsmen from technologies that pre-existed the colonial period. Throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Lagos became a center not only for the financial sector in Nigeria, but also manufacturing, production, and shipment. The guiding ethos of technology schools and the companies that produce technological goods was driven by the belief that, in order for Nigeria to correct for its technological backwardness, it must embrace mild forms of industrial espionage and reverse-engineering. The result of this has been a steady rise in the number of "hardware hackers," reverse engineers, and hacker spaces in and around the Lagos mainland. Many of the first young people educated in Makoko's Floating School were taught to engage with technology in this manner by visiting teachers from the mainland. This, in addition to Makokoan's general attitude of ingenuity and self-sufficiency, forms the roots of Makoko's current approach to technological production and adaptation.

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