Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mr. March, and I'm here today to teach you all about life in Nigeria.

So grab everything that you need for today's lesson, and let's get going.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to compare different aspects of rural and urban life in Nigeria.

There are five key terms for today's lesson, and those are: diverse, rural, urban, infrastructure, and subsistence farming.

Diverse refers to something which is different from each other.

Rural is something to do with the countryside.

Urban is something to do with a city or town.

Infrastructure is all the basic systems in a country, such as transport and power supply.

And finally, subsistence farming is farming that provides enough food for the farmer and their family to live on, rather than for them to sell.

There are two learning cycles for today's lesson.

I'm going to start with learning cycle one, which is all about Nigeria, a diverse country.

Imagine you were describing what life is like in the country where you live.

What aspects of daily life would you actually include? So that's a really deep question.

Now, you may like to pause the video here whilst you consider your own response to that or perhaps even have a discussion with someone near you.

So what did you come up with? Well, possible aspects may have included the following: the language that we speak, the education, the food that we eat, the transport, the religion, the employment opportunities here, the culture, settlements, as well as homes.

These are all different aspects which we can use to describe perhaps the country that we live in.

So why might it be challenging to describe what life in a place is like? Izzy says that many different stories make up the lives of people in a place, and every person will have a different life story.

Sam, meanwhile, she says, "A single story can't accurately describe what a place is like." Nigeria is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.

Look at this, more than 500 different languages that are spoken in the country of Nigeria alone.

There are three major ethnic groups, and these are called the Hausa, the Igbo, and the Yoruba.

There are many regional and religious differences across the country, and there are more than 250 ethnic groups living in Nigeria, each with its own traditions, customs, and histories.

Life in Nigeria really is variable and it depends on where you live.

There are similarities and differences between the different geographical regions within the country, and there are similarities and differences between the rural and urban areas.

There are also similarities and differences in how people live within those settlements and communities.

How does life vary in the place where you live? So you may like to pause the video here whilst you consider once again that very deep question or perhaps even discuss it with someone near you.

So there are similarities and differences in what life is like between rural, which refers to countryside areas, and urban areas, which refers to towns and cities.

As Lucas says, 54% of Nigeria's population now live in urban areas, whilst 46% live in rural areas.

Aisha says that the share of people living in urban areas is actually increasing.

So each and every single year more and more people in Nigeria are living in towns and cities.

What might these similarities and differences be in terms of the way that people live in urban areas versus rural areas? Once again, you may like to pause the video here whilst you consider your own answer to that question or perhaps even discuss it with someone near you.

So what did you come up with? Well, there may be similarities and differences in terms of people's homes, the infrastructure such as the transport network and the communication network that we find in rural versus urban areas.

The household income.

Maybe people earn more in urban areas of Nigeria than versus rural areas.

Employment sources and opportunities.

Access to clean water and electricity.

Perhaps it's better in urban areas than it is in rural areas.

And finally, the quality of education and healthcare found there.

As Jun says, there will also be similarities and differences within the rural and urban communities themselves.

So not just between rural and urban communities, but within those communities as well there will be differences and similarities.

Can you think then of any other examples that we can add to that list that's in front of you? Once again, you may like to pause the video at this point.

So quick learning check.

It says, true or false? Life in Nigeria is very similar for most people in the country.

What I need you to do then is pause the video here whilst you consider and then select your answer.

And the correct answer was false.

Now, once again, I'd like you to pause the video whilst you consider as to why that statement then is false.

And the reason it's false is because Nigeria is a really diverse country.

Many different factors affect what life is like for people living there.

Really well done if you were able to identify those two correct answers.

Time now for our one and only practise question for this first learning cycle.

And it says, look at these two photographs.

One is from a rural area in Nigeria and the other is from an urban area.

How do you think life in these two places might be different? You can write or discuss your ideas.

So what I need you to do then is pause the video here whilst you attempt this practise question.

Best of luck.

In terms of feedback then, here are some ideas you might have had about ways in which life in these two places might be different.

As Lucas says, urban areas might have better infrastructure, such as transport networks.

Aisha says, "People in rural areas might rely on agriculture to make a living more than in urban areas." And as Izzy says, there might be differences in the style, quality, and appearance of people's homes.

So really well done if you were able to get any of those answers that you see on the screen in front of you.

We're on now to our second and final learning cycle, and this is all about comparing rural and urban life in Nigeria.

Rural and urban life in Nigeria differ in several key aspects, and these include the following: the lifestyle and culture; employment and economic opportunities, by which I mean jobs; infrastructure, so perhaps referring to the transport network; education, perhaps the quality of schooling and the opportunities within education; healthcare, once again, the quality and availability of healthcare such as hospitals and GP surgeries; the homes, so the style and perhaps the modernity of those homes; and once again, yes, finally lifestyle and culture.

So let's start by looking at the employment and economic opportunities.

The main industry in rural Nigeria, so the countryside areas of Nigeria, is undoubtedly agriculture, farming.

Many people rely on subsistence farming, fishing, and small-scale trading.

Small-scale trading is the exchanging of goods such as excess crops that people have grown or items that they have made by hand and exchange it for then money.

And we can see a wonderful example of a crop grown in Nigeria, it's known as cassava, and it's a common crop, as I say, grown in Nigeria.

Further employment opportunities can be found in the mining and the extraction of minerals industry.

They are a fantastic source of employment in rural Nigeria.

Nigeria, as Aisha says, is really rich in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, and tin.

And it provides a wonderful employment opportunity for the people of Nigeria working in those industries.

Urban areas though offer a much wider range of job opportunities than in rural areas.

Those job opportunities can be found in different sectors, such as banking and finance, hospitality, manufacturing, property, public services, as well as technology.

So within the urban areas we see a much greater diversity of job opportunities than in rural areas, where it's mainly located or centred around mining and agriculture, those types of industry.

More employment options in urban areas means that average income levels are actually higher in urban areas than they are in rural areas.

As Lucas says, many people move to cities in Nigeria each year in search of employment.

So here's a quick learning check.

It says, who is correct? And you need to select two answers.

So on the screen you can see three different statements, one by Jacob, one by Aisha, one by Jun.

What you need to do then is pause the video here whilst you read through those three options, then select the two answers that you think are correct.

And the two correct answers were: Aisha, by saying that many people in rural areas in Nigeria depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and Jun, large numbers of people move to cities in Nigeria each year in search of employment.

Jacob was incorrect.

Jacob said that banking and finance are major sources of employment in rural parts of Nigeria.

Jacob's statement is incorrect in that it should have said urban areas rather than rural areas.

So really well done if you were able to identify Aisha and Jun as the correct answers.

Infrastructure is often more limited in rural areas with fewer roads and more unreliable access to electricity and the internet.

Also access to clean water and sanitation may also be a significant challenge for those in rural areas.

People, often girls and women in Nigeria, may have to go collect water from outside their home, as the image in front of you does a wonderful job in actually demonstrating.

Urban areas do typically have much better infrastructure, including easy access to water and electricity, as well as improved roads and actual public transport as well.

These charts actually compare access to electricity in rural and urban Nigeria.

And look at the differences there.

In terms of rural areas, only 33% have access to electricity in those rural areas, but in urban areas it's up at 85%.

So there is a massive gulf between the life of someone living in rural areas versus someone living in urban areas in terms of access to electricity.

Homes in rural areas may also be much, much simpler and often made out of locally sourced building materials, as the image in front of you does a great job in actually showing.

Inside and outside living spaces may be more spacious because larger areas of land are actually available in rural areas than versus urban areas.

Urban living spaces are typically much smaller and though property prices may be higher.

There are often wide variations in housing and living conditions within urban areas.

And we can see a difference within an urban area itself in terms of the living conditions.

On the screen in front of you, these are both examples of housing from an urban area, and you can see just a huge difference between them.

On the left hand side it looks much more rundown, much more basic.

And then on the right hand side you can see a much more modern example of housing, which no doubt commands a much higher price than of course the one on the left.

Possible differences include the size then of people's homes, the building materials used, as well as access to services such as water, electricity, and internet connection as well.

Time now for another learning check and it says, what percentage of people living in rural areas of Nigeria have access to electricity? So what I need you do then is pause the video here, read through those three options and then consider and select your answer.

And the correct answer was A, 33%.

So just one in three people in rural Nigeria have access to electricity.

And Lucas asks you a question, he says, "What different uses of electricity can you think of?" You may like to pause the video here whilst you consider your answer to that question.

Now in terms of education, while access to education is often much, much more limited in rural areas than in urban areas, education in rural areas may be under-resourced, not really financed, and children and young people may have to travel a long, long way to attend school there.

Urban areas though usually have more and better-resourced educational facilities, including universities and vocational training centres.

There may also be challenges in terms of healthcare and access to healthcare in rural areas.

People may rely on medical practitioners in their community or traditional medicine.

Meanwhile, urban areas typically have much better access to healthcare and much better access to doctors and healthcare facilities and medical services too.

What about lifestyle and culture? Well, rural life may be much more traditional with stronger community links.

Urban areas though are usually much more diverse with a mixture of cultures and lifestyles.

There is often a wider range of entertainment and leisure options in urban areas.

Ayo is a traditional game played in Nigeria, and Lagos is Nigeria's most populated city.

And just looking at that image right there of Lagos, you probably get a sense of the great entertainment and leisure options that are available there that just wouldn't be available in the same number or complexity in rural areas.

So a quick learning check.

It says, which of the following statements comparing rural and urban life in Nigeria are correct? Now what I want you to do then is pause the video here, read through those four options, and select the two correct answers.

And the two correct answers you needed to find were A, homes in rural areas are more likely to be made of locally-sourced building materials, and C, urban areas typically have better infrastructure than rural areas.

So really well done if you too were able to select A and C as the correct answers.

Our next learning check says, Izzy and Sam are having a discussion.

You need to decide who you think is correct.

So what I want you to do then is pause the video here, read through Sam and Izzy's statements, and then decide who you think is correct.

And the correct answer was Izzy.

Izzy says, "There will be differences in people's lives within urban and rural communities." And she's absolutely correct.

There are many similarities and differences in people's lives, both within and between communities.

So really, really well done if you identified Izzy as the correct answer.

So we're on now to our one and only practise task for our final learning cycle.

And it says to complete the table by making notes about the similarities and differences between rural and urban life in Nigeria.

So what I'd like you to do right now then is pause the video here whilst you attempt this practise task.

Best of luck.

In terms of feedback then, here is an example of a completed table.

Now, you may have included some of these answers in your own.

So in terms of rural Nigeria then, well, many people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Mining and extraction of minerals is also a really important source of employment.

There are lower average income levels, and there is limited infrastructure, such as fewer roads and challenges in terms of access to electricity, clean water, and sanitation.

What about urban Nigeria? Well, there are more job opportunities in different sectors, such as finance, manufacturing, and technology.

There is a higher average level of income.

Many people move to urban areas in search of employment.

There is also better infrastructure, once again, including access to water, electricity, improved roads and public transport.

It continues.

So let's once again refer ourselves to rural Nigeria.

In rural Nigeria then, there is a stronger chance of having more simple homes, often made from locally sourced building materials, limited and under-resourced education and healthcare facilities.

Rural life may be more traditional with stronger community links.

And then let's now look at urban Nigeria.

So in urban Nigeria, property prices may be higher, more and better resourced education and healthcare facilities, usually more diverse with a mix of cultures and lifestyles.

And finally, wider range of entertainment and leisure options.

So really well done if you were able to include anything like that in your own answer.

We're on now to our learning summary, and what do you need to know from today's lesson? Well, many people in rural Nigeria rely on agriculture and small-scale trading.

Urban areas offer more job opportunities in a wider range of sectors.

Housing and access to electricity, clean water, and sanitation vary widely.

Transport, education, and healthcare are typically under-resourced in rural areas.

And there are many similarities and differences in people's lives, both within and between communities.

So really well done during today's lesson.

It was a pleasure teaching you, and I will see you again on the next lesson.

Goodbye.