A Weekend in Lagos, Nigeria
“When a tradition gathers enough strength to go on for centuries, you don’t just turn it off one day.” Chinua Achebe
If West Africa had a capital city, Lagos would be it! The music, the ambition, the ingenuity, the pride, the clothing, the glitz — just steps away from depravity — all of it, is crammed into this city of 20 plus million people. For a West Africans, Lagos is as big, loud, chaotic, and glamorous as it gets. As the most populous African nation (one in five people in Sub Saharan Africa is a Nigerian), this country is at the forefront of music, culture, and dare I say food — the latter will forever be contested.
West Africa has a different feel than Southern Africa and nowhere is that more pronounced than the food and the music. My first meal in Lagos was amala with egusi chicken soup and it was finger-licking good, literally! This being Ramadan in a country with a sizable muslim population, there is a whole food nightlife culture.
In Surulere, I saw luxury cars, parked steps away from water filled potholes where the upper frequent working class neighborhoods for what I was told was some of the best street food in Lagos! The patrons go from grilling station to grilling station munching on grilled meat and chicken. The soundtrack of Lagos, incessant honking mixed with music, is always on at all times of the night.
Some aspects of the Nigerian economy is highly formalized and others stubbornly informal. Steps away from banks, I found an informal currency exchange run by a group of Hausa men with a rate is nearly 15% better than what the bank offers. Maintaining my Uber boycott, I was able to use another ride sharing app to get around the city. Nollywood (Nigerian Hollywood) is the third largest film industry in the world. Nigerian movies are watched in cities and villages all over the continent and around the world. As such, I couldn’t be in Lagos and not go see a Nollywood film at the movie theater. If you think the commentary at the Magic Johnson theater in Harlem is epic, try watching a comedy in a room full of Nigerians in Lagos! It’s an experience! The film of the day was Alakada Reloaded.
I spent a Friday evening at Freedom Park to enjoy some live music. Freedom Park was once a prison which was built during the colonial era. The prison was turned into a national park and and hosts a whole range of creative events — from live music to art shows. In the audience that evening, was Fela Kuti’s daughter who was there for an album launch put up by a local afrobeat band.
One thing you notice very quickly is that Nigerians dress well! Unlike in the West where tailoring is a monopolized business for the wealthy few, in West Africa, tailoring is a profession at the service of all body types and social classes. There are numerous shops that one can walk into, get measurements taken, select a design and come back a few days later for a perfectly fitted outfit. Walking around Lagos and seeing beautifully dressed Africans in hip traditional tailor-made clothing, made me reconsider the way I dress!
Of course, I wouldn’t leave Lagos before visiting its busiest market! I walked around Azikiwe market just before sunset and this time, I had a recorder in my pocket. This city is a trip! If I ever get up to it, one day I will use it as a soundtrack for a slideshow of all my african market pictures.
After a couple of days here in Lagos, I made the necessary contacts for my journey up north to historic Fulani cities and villages. Next stop Yola, in Adamawa State near the Cameroon border.
