5 Reasons I Love Lagos

Vibrant, fast-paced, beautiful chaos. Those are the words that come to mind when I think of Lagos.

Lagos, is the most populous city in Africa and the economic capital of Nigeria. The irony though is that Lagos is the smallest state by land mass in Nigeria. So, picture a city that is about 3,345 square kilometres having a population of about 15.4million people (and this is an estimate) and what you get is a beautiful chaos. The beautiful part is the vibrant culture, the pulsating energy, the hustle and bustle, the feeling of hope that is so palpable and punctuates literally every interaction with a Lagosian. The chaos is the maddening traffic, poor governance, lack of infrastructure, poor healthcare to name a few.

Lagos is a city that I look forward to visiting often because it holds so many memories. Every time I visit, I come back inspired about what is possible and how resilient the human spirit is. Visiting Lagos fills me with gratitude that I had my formative years in this beautiful and crazy city. There is level of resilience and determination that I have now and I think growing up in Lagos is one of the factors that contributed to that.

I could go on about Lagos but for those who are unfamiliar or maybe have visited before or are considering visiting, this post is for you. Here are my favourite things about Lagos.

1. The food. If you have been following my blog posts for a while now, you will know that the quality of food in a place is directly correlated with how much I love it. Lagos is no exception. Simply put, the food in Lagos will wow you! And the best part? There is enough options for every budget - you don't have to break the bank to have a memorable culinary experience. You will get options from hole-in-the-wall food shops (known locally as Bukas) to 5-star restaurants serving local and international dishes.

2. The entrepreneurial spirit aka hustle spirit. There's a saying that goes, "If you can make it in Lagos, you can make it anywhere". This couldn't be truer. Lagosians are hustlers and are proud of their hard work. Lagosians are up as early as 4:00a.m. ready to start their day - this is mostly to avoid traffic but it has become a way of life that even on non-working days, people are up very early ready to hustle. The average Lagosian rarely relies solely on their 9-5 pay check, and it is quite common to have a side hustle to diversify your income. On my last visit to Lagos, I had the opportunity to meet some people doing incredible things. I was inspired by young people who were running 2-3 legit businesses at the same time.

3. The community. After I returned from my last trip to Lagos, I kept trying to put my finger on what it was that made Lagos feel so welcoming, and it hit me one day, community! The sense of connectedness you experience in Lagos is amazing, it's hard to put into words. You really have to experience it to understand it. The people in Lagos are happy, friendly and welcoming. Like I said, it can feel overwhelming given its population and pace, but once you find your community, life in Lagos can feel so enriching. I should add that community comes in different shapes and forms but in Lagos (and I might even add, in Nigeria as a whole), community is closely linked with spirituality and belonging to a faith group. Living in Lagos can be tough and one thing I have observed is the hope that many Lagosians continue to have. Hope for a better future even in throngs of unfavourable factors. Belonging to a community through one's faith group is key to how Lagosians navigate the challenges of everyday life in Lagos.

4. The vibe. This one deserves a whole blog post on its own. To truly experience the spirit of Lagos, you've got to attend a wedding or a party in Lagos. It's a whole vibe. It is therapeutic. It is uplifting. It is fun! One thing I missed when I left Nigeria was the social life - nearly 16 years later of living in Australia, I still miss it. And one thing visiting Lagos gives me, is the opportunity to reconnect with that social element and I wholeheartedly lap it up every time I get the chance. Banky W (a Nigerian singer) sang "Ain't no party like a Lagos party" and ain't that the truth!

5. The entertainment scene. I love what Nigerian artistes have done and are doing to elevate Afro music. It is truly remarkable. Lagos is the base for a lot of the music artistes, actors and media personalities and this is in turn translates to a vibrant entertainment scene where there is no shortage of events - both free and paid - to attend. The December holidays (aka Detty December) is the perfect time to experience the entertainment scene in Lagos. Think festivals, parties, carnivals, concerts - the entertainment options are endless.

Tips for visiting Lagos

I can't finish this post without including some practical tips if you're visiting or planning to visit Lagos as a tourist:

• Lagos is not a walkable city. One thing that makes cities tourist-friendly is the walkability of those places. Lagos on the other hand, is a city that is heavily reliant on transportation which in turn contributes to the traffic congestion. Tip: Use rideshare services or better still, have a local private driver to drive you around. This is an inexpensive and more efficient option.

• Have a local host. Lagos is not exactly the kind of place you go to on a whim. Nope. It's a place you visit because you know someone there or are going with someone who knows someone there. Truth is, for the uninitiated, there are things about Lagos that will shock you and there are things that will excite you. Having a local host will help to cushion the shock a lot... a whole lot!

• Go with an open-mind. This tip applies to pretty much any country or city you visit. But as a tourist, you will need an extra sprinkling of open-mindedness. Be curious, ask your hosts questions, listen to people's stories - you will be inspired by stories of hope and resilience.

• Be wary. This may feel counterintuitive to the last tip but, hear me out. When you visit a city as populous as Lagos, you will need to be wary or as the locals say, "shine your eyes." Be cautious, don't go to dodgy places, don't be overly trusting. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• Be prepared for the traffic. Fact: There will be traffic. This is one of my biggest gripes about Lagos. The traffic is maddening and the drivers are crazier. Be prepared to be amused and frustrated by the things you will see when you're stuck in traffic (aka "go-slow"). To kill time and to keep yourself sane, make phone calls, send emails/texts/messages, scroll through social media while you sit in traffic (as a passenger - you will not want to drive in Lagos). Factor in traffic when you're planning your day. For every day you are out and about in Lagos, factor in a day to rest and recover (I'm kidding! or maybe I'm not haha!).

I hope these tips have been helpful for potential visitors to Lagos and for people that have visited or lived in Lagos before, I hope this brings back some happy memories of Lagos (minus the traffic!) for you.

Be well,

JJ