Post date: Dec 13, 2012 12:52:27 PM
Africa's first city edition of the popular board game Monopoly was launched in Nigeria on Tuesday (December 11) the Lagos-themed game consists of the city's landmarks like Makoko slum along with fictional locations such as Banana Island. Monopoly was developed in America in the early 20th century and a London version was produced in 1935.
LAGOS, NIGERIA (DECEMBER 11, 2012) (REUTERS) - The Lagos version of the Monopoly board game was launched on Tuesday (December 11) inNigeria. This is Africa's first city edition of the popular board game.
The game consists of the city's landmarks like Makoko, a floating slum built on stilts, along with fictional locations like the Banana Island.Sectors of the economy such as financial institutions, real estate, insurance among others are also portrayed in the Lagos version while some of the original details of the game are also present.
Monopoly was first developed in America in the 20th century and was later produced for London in 1935. The board game is named after the economic concept of monopoly, the domination of a market by a single entity.
According to the Lagos layout, Banana Island is the most popular place to live, equivalent of "Mayfair" in the London version, and property sells for up to 8 million US dollars, while Makoko is the cheapest.
This Lagos model comes at a time when Nigeria's largest city is working to upgrade itself into a mega city.
"In a bid to become Africa's model mega city, we will consider any old idea that we can re-make to suit our needs, as indeed we will embrace new ones. The monopoly board game is one such old idea now made new to suit Lagos," said Babatunde Fashola, the Governor of Lagos.
The game which comes in either a rectangular or square board, was sold at the launch for between 35 to 41 US dollars.
The Lagos-themed Monopoly is the brainchild of Bestman Games, a Nigeria based company that hopes it will create a positve image of the city.
"It brings to life Lagos, the city of Lagos with all it's landmarks and all its features with all its iconic symbols and it opens it up to people who are outside Nigeria by playing Monopoly, just as we did when we were growing up, playing Monopoly with Mayfair and London and Palm mall and Leicester Square, we knew all these names and these symbols, we had never been there," said Odein Ajumogobia, chairman of Bestman Games.
Many Nigerians have been playing Monopoly for years and some like Adeyemi Adefehinti, an architect went to a game shop to have a feel of the new release.
"It brings to life Lagos, the city of Lagos with all it's landmarks and all its features with all its iconic symbols and it opens it up to people who are outside Nigeria by playing Monopoly, just as we did when we were growing up, playing Monopoly with Mayfair and London and Palm mall and Leicester Square, we knew all these names and these symbols, we had never been there," said Adefehinti.
Lagos state government also wants to use the board game to educate people about the city's laws and promote general knowledge about the metropolis.
Morocco and South Africa are the only other countries in Africa that have customized editions of Monopoly.