A beach break in Nigeria's Lagos is becoming too expensive for many

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Weekends for Mukthar Oladunmade since he was a child have typically featured a visit to the beach. In the ceaselessly bustling city of Lagos, he prefers to unwind on the breezy Atlantic shoreline that nearly surrounds the city.

But these days, going to the beach in Nigeria's commercial hub has become expensive. It now involves a virtual spreadsheet of expenses, including fees for entry, chairs, food, drinks and activities as the local government hands over more of the shore to private developers.

“It costs a lot of money for the average Nigerian to come here,” Oladunmade, a 27-year-old writer, said at Takwa Bay, one of the few islands that are not privately owned.

He travels regularly across West Africa for work, and his favorite evening pastime is relaxing at the beach, whether in Accra, Cotonou, Dakar or elsewhere in the region. He says it's only in Lagos where that has become nearly impossible.

“On average, I spend 25,000 naira ($18) whenever I think of coming to the beach,” he said.

That’s beyond many residents of Lagos, where the majority of people work in the informal sector. Nigeria’s minimum wage is 77,000 naira ($56) per month.

The beach is one of the few public spaces in the city of over 20 million residents to escape the crowds and Lagos’ often sweltering heat. The city is near the equator, with humidity averaging 80% year round.

But most of the city's 180-kilometer-long coastline is being privatized by the government or by families with ancestral claim to the land. The Lagos state government also has reclaimed land for exclusive residences and developments including a causeway and deep sea port.

What used to be free public spaces are mostly now ticketed ones, with entry fees ranging from 2,000 ($1.50) to 60,000 naira ($44), as the state government has licensed them to individuals or businesses.

A surging economy has grown around the beaches, where items are priced steeply under private owners.

“They are only making money half of the year, having put a lot of money in it,” said Doyin Ogunye, who runs drinks and food businesses at beaches. “So the entry to the beach, the food and drinks will be more expensive.”

The state government has long promoted Lagos as a “megacity” to attract more tourists and international businesses.

It is paying off. In 2025, Lagos state generated 2.6 trillion naira ($1.9 billion) in internal revenues, a 16% increase from 2024 and far more than any other Nigerian state, according to its commissioner of finance.

But the drive has come at the expense of lower and middle-class residents in numerous ways, from provision of basic services to the pressure on people to move out of coastal areas.

“The approach of the Lagos state government for a long time has not been about the people, it is about the money. It is about how do we build this city in a way that is making money?” said Olamide Udoma-Ejorh, director of the Lagos Urban Development Initiative nonprofit that advocates for an inclusive city.

Officials of the Lagos state government did not respond to a request for comment. In the past, the government has insisted the beaches are cleaner and safer as a result of the privatization.

Every hour is rush hour in Lagos. With constant gridlock, the din of generators and the city’s signature creaky yellow buses, slapped with vibrant decals, circulating round the clock, residents say it is a stressful city.

Esther Sorkpor, a final-year student at the University of Lagos, said she is frustrated with the limited beach access.

“I should have access to nature for free. This is a reflection of how everything is monetized," she said. “Nigeria is already a very high-tension country, and it is just very stressful to navigate.”

Analysts say a review is needed of how the government manages public spaces. “The beach should be seen as a civic asset,” Udoma-Ejorh said.

As the sun set, beachgoers at Takwa Bay packed their bags and headed home. They hopped on engine-powered wooden boats that sped across the coastal shoreline of Eko Atlantic, a private residence for the ultra rich, which has long defined Lagos' megacity ambition.

More of those are planned.

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Mukthar Oladunmade, a 27-year-old writer, right, buys a coconut at Takwa Bay beach in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Beachgoers dance at Takwa Bay beach in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Beachgoers play at Takwa Bay beach in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Beachgoers play at Takwa Bay beach in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Mukthar Oladunmade, a 27-year-old writer, plays in the water at Takwa Bay beach in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike on Friday that helped galvanize a youth movement that's become one of India’s largest protests in recent years, but demonstrators vowed to continue until the education minister resigns.

Wangchuk’s fast became a rallying point for India’s “Cockroach” protests, which began more than a month ago demanding education reforms after alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams. Since then, the movement has tapped into broader public anger over unemployment, government accountability and economic opportunity, drawing professionals, families and activists to demonstrations in New Delhi and cities across the country.

The demonstrations have become one of the most sustained waves of public dissent against Modi’s government in recent years, with thousands returning to the streets even after police used tear gas and batons this week to disperse marchers trying to reach Parliament.

In a post on X, Wangchuk said he ended his fast in the presence of two federal ministers after appeals from dozens of members of parliament and following “a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country.” He did not elaborate on the talks.

Protest organizers said demonstrations would continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. They have called for demonstrations across the country on Friday in solidarity with students who were beaten by police during a march to Parliament on Monday that drew thousands of people.

“We won’t let Sonam sir’s sacrifice go in vain,” said Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical group that has spearheaded the movement, named in reference to a remark by the country's supreme court chief justice that compared some unemployed young people to cockroaches.

The nationwide protests come a day after Modi publicly addressed the protests for the first time, announcing fast-track courts to prosecute cases involving examination paper leaks. In a separate video message, Modi also said his government would introduce a legislation in Parliament to crack down on exam paper leaks.

The announcements did little to calm the movement, as protesters said they failed to address their demands for government accountability, examination reforms and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after exam paper leaks.

Fabeha Sayyed, 23, said Modi’s video message showed he was finally paying attention to the issue, but she questioned why he had not asked the education minister to resign.

“If he were so concerned about the protests, about the students and the families of students who committed suicide, then it is not hard for him to get a person to resign,” she said.

Volunteers collect garbage at a protest site during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)

A protestor carries a placard saying 'When the education is taxed, why should Pradhan be not held accountable' referring to India's Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)

A protestor carries a placard saying "In the exam attempt all questions, in a democracy answer all questions" during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)

A reclining protestor covers himself with a banner printed with a portrait of Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent activist who was forcefully transferred to a hospital by the police as he staged a hunger strike in support of a movement led by Cockroach Janta Party, at a protest in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin)

Protesters shout slogans as they carry posters asking for the resignation of India's Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan at a protest led by Cockroach Janta Party in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin)

A supporter distributes food to protestors during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Vipin)

Police officers chase protesters during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in Mumbai, India, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Protesters confront a police officer during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in Mumbai, India, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in Mumbai, India, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)