Welcome to Lagos, a city that gives you all.
Lagos is a beautiful city even though there are some parts of it that I don't find attractive, every city has that one place you don't want to visit for some reason. It could be due to insecurity, a dirty environment, and others.
I have lived in Lagos all my life and I can tell you a few things about the City, it is one of the best places you can be in Nigeria. Living in four different parts of the city has made had different experiences and understanding of the city, life here is very much different from other cities in Nigeria.
It is one of the most populated cities in Africa and just as many people refer to it as "no man's land", it harbors people from all the parts of Nigeria. I doubt if there is a tribe or an ethnic group in Nigeria that you wouldn't find in Lagos, it is the dreamland of everyone because of some reasons. These reasons are why I love the city as well and I doubt if I can live in any part of Nigeria after 26 years of living in Lagos.
Picture of a popular bus stop in the heart of Lagos: Oshodi.
It is the busiest city in Nigeria and living in Lagos can be stressful but that doesn't stop it from having the good side of it.
Lagos is a city of opportunities: I met a woman in 2019 at a market in Lagos, she actually makes the local hairstyle for people. This woman does not own a shop but she claims to earn $3- $4 daily from just walking around the market making hair for market women.
A shot from a popular market.
There are lots of opportunities in the cities that don't have anything to do with the white-collar job, these opportunities might not give you everything you want but they should help you survive. I once sold puff puff in a small kiosk when I couldn't get a job, it didn't solve all my problems but it puts food on my table. While the population of Lagos is growing, some opportunities are reducing because new people keep tapping into them and some opportunities are increasing at the same time but it requires you to take advantage of the opportunity open to you.
I have seen make-up artists having a stand at events, people who tie headgear, and many others as well, paying attention and grabbing the available opportunity available is what matters; there are different business opportunities up for grabs.
Lagos is a city with diversified culture.
I mentioned earlier about having all the tribes in Nigeria in Lagos, this has exposed the city to have different cultures and values.
The Eyo deity is one of the celebrated deities in Lagos.
This hasn't just made the city fun but has helped promotes the relationship between tribes and ethnic groups in the country. In Lagos, you can learn and enjoy varieties of cultures which I find very interesting; you have access to food from all tribes and ethnic groups, and you can learn their ways of life if it interests you.
For instance, I developed an interest in Igbo soup sometimes back and having an Igbo as a neighbor made it easy for me to learn. As long as you are friendly and do not discriminate, you have a lot of cultures to enjoy in the city of Lagos.
Lagos gives you five-star fun.
Lagos gives you access to different levels of fun depending on your definition of fun and how healthy your wallet is, the city is full of fun and recreation centers.
Bars, clubs, beaches, pools, cinemas, game houses, and many other fun spots are available in excess. The good thing about fun in Lagos is that there will always be somewhere that fits into your budget so you don't have to break the bank or go broke because of fun except if you choose to do so.
The city gives you access to beautiful nature.
Enjoying nature is one of the things I love about my city, the development hasn't deprived us of enjoying the beauty of nature.
That's a road that links to my environment, there are trees and gardens everywhere.
Garden I love to visit often, it is just a few kilometers from my house.
A lot of nature lovers find it difficult to live in the city, they find the province more conducive but it is different for Lagos because you can enjoy the city and province feel of nature in the city, we have the Lekki conservative center, freedom park, National Museum, the beaches, and many other water bodies.
The Lekki conservation center.
I still have access to nature's beauty in my environment and that makes me fall in love more with Lagos as a city.
You just have to be here to enjoy these, reading about them would give you a firsthand experience of this amazing city called Lagos. If you ever find yourself in the city for the first time, I can be your tour guide for free.
It looks very crowded and complex. she looks really stressed