THIS week saw the launch of a Monopoly board based on Lagos, the first time the game has been customised for a city in Africa. The metropolis is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and littered with landmarks, a game-maker’s dream.

Banana Island is Lagos’s Mayfair. The artificial island was built for millionaires and is crowded with mansions and ritzy apartments. A plush pad on the island could set you back $8m. If you don’t have cash to buy, rental properties hover around $150,000 a year.

The cheapest square is Makoko–the “little Venice” of Lagos–a floating slum with around 300,000 inhabitants. As part of the state government’s “beautification plan” for Lagos, parts of Makoko have been demolished in recent months. Its future uncertain but it will survive in Monopoly-form no matter what.

Businesses and banks have sponsored other popular landmarks. Players are not simply ordered to “Go to jail”. They are told to “Go directly to Kirikiri jail,” a reference to the city’s maximum-security prison.

Its makers say the game will educate people about the laws of the city. The Chance cards, which issue players with fines, have been tailored to reflect the perils of Nigeria’s treacherous roads and reckless drivers many of whom, despite having licenses, do not know how to drive. One card reads: “You’ve been caught driving against traffic. Report for psychiatric evaluation.” Another instructs: “Park! Park! For reckless driving pay a fine…and register for retraining.” A third says: “For attempting to bribe a law enforcement agent, pay a fine.” For most drivers in Nigeria, a “bribe” and a “fine” are much the same.

The Monopoly game was originally developed in America based on the streets of Atlantic City. The celebrated London version was produced in 1935. Bestman Games, which holds an exclusive licence for the Lagos version, is hoping the latest franchise will prove as popular in Nigeria as its London original. Nigerians love board games, especially Scrabble. The country has its own Scrabble Federation which runs an interclub championship across Nigeria’s 36 states. The national team won this year’s Africa Scrabble Championship in Kenya.

Launched a couple of weeks before Christmas, the Monopoly Lagos could be the perfect gift for those who wish to take a tour around Lagos–without enduring the city’s relentless gridlock.

Source: http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2012/12/monopoly-lagos?fsrc=nlw|newe|12-14-2012|4374772|37274612|A

How could you have posted this in the politics section, Bayoo?