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Climate impacts are a significant challenge in slums and informal settlements, most of which are located along the coast. This article aims to show coping strategies and flood adaptation opportunities through the case study of a coastal slum in Lagos, Nigeria.

A mixed-method approach is used in Idi-Araba settlement, Oworonshoki, Lagos – the case study area. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected residents and a survey (sample size = 300 residents). A town hall meeting was convened to disseminate the findings and gather feedback from the community.

Being an informally developed settlement, flooding affects the poor-quality buildings – a situation made worse by absence of infrastructure and services. Coping with flooding involves structural strategies (raising building’s foundation, re-roofing, sand-filling the surrounding, etc.), failed attempt through green infrastructure, nonstructural measures through dietary pattern, dressing, etc. These measures emanate from self-help and community efforts, attesting to notable social capital in the study area. They are minimally effective and limited, which highlights adaptation gaps and opportunities.

This study calls for transformative adaptation, beyond the current coping and maladaptation. It argues that local strategies need to meet with innovative substantive external initiatives from the state and third sector.

This study considers the single case of a coastal settlement in Lagos. This focus allowed detailed examination within a representative settlement, much unlike city-wide, cross-settlement considerations in many other studies. It provides additional empirical evidence on limitations of self-help flood coping measures and adaptation prospects in the often overlooked low-income, informal urban sector.

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of built environment professionals on the benefits and impediments limiting the widespread acceptance of vertical greening systems (VGSs) in Lagos, Nigeria. This study contributes to the knowledge on the adoption of VGSs from the socio-technical dimension.

The study employed a survey method. An online questionnaire was used to obtain information from the respondents. The questionnaire was divided into four (4) sections. The first section focused on the socio-demographic variables while the second section addressed knowledge of VGSs, willingness to educate clients on the use of VGS and the possibility of VGS improving city image in Lagos. Section three (3) focused on the VGS benefits, subdivided into environmental, economic and aesthetic qualities and measured on a five-point Likert scale. Lastly, section four (4) concentrated on the impediments to the use of VGS in Lagos.

Professionals are willing to adopt the use of VGSs if their clients agree to the benefits it delivers to occupants, the environment and the building fabric.

This paper fulfills an identified need to study the perceptions of professionals toward VGSs patronage.