Ese Richard
Beautiful city with lovely sites and lots of opportunities, yet, a very tense and unfriendly atmosphere that keeps one on their toes. How can a place so attractive be so repulsive?
When you talk about Nigeria and commercialization, the first place that comes to mind is the city of Lagos. The state which doubles as one of the former capitals of the country and also the commercial hub is one of the most populated state in Nigeria.
Despite its small land mass 1,171 square kilometres, it has a population of over 15 million people. This makes it to rank among the top 3 most populated states in Nigeria. Its population is made of people from all corners of the country and even beyond.
‘No man’s land’ as it is famously known, makes the city of Lagos to be open to anybody who is ready to hustle and make a living. There are no restrictions as anybody can come from anywhere and become anything they want to be.
Unlike other places that use the ‘welcome to’ signpost, the city of Lagos takes a different turn by using the slogan ‘this is Lagos.’ This address though simple, is intended to send a lot of subconscious messages to all who enter the state.
As open as the city of Lagos is, the atmosphere within the state is not as friendly as it is open. The order of things within Lagos is from the angle of ‘mind your business.’
Moving through the streets of Lagos will expose one to a lot of people with very difficult and unwelcoming attitudes. Because of the activities of swindlers and opportunists who are ready to take undue advantage on any and everyone, people now have to put up serious faces and difficult attitudes to ensure they don’t get pried on.
‘Shine your eye, this is Lagos’, is the most common advice you will get on the streets. Home for all, yet, far from all the things that are supposed to make one feel at home.
In Lagos, one can collapse on a busy street and no one except relatives or very close associates would pay attention to them. This is a very common case as no one wants to attract wahala(problems) to themselves.
Surviving on a day to day basis within the streets of Lagos according to my opinion should be a degree awarding programme. This is because no one single material can cover the entire mechanics of living life in Lagos. So even when you make it to Lagos please don’t feel welcome, this is Lagos
