THE CHRONICLES OF A YOUTH ‘CORPER’ [Part 2]— Learning about Lagos
Have you ever noticed that the sign that welcomes you to Lagos literally reads “This is Lagos” My! That does not sound welcoming. Born and raised in Warri Delta state, I’ve had the opportunity to visit quite a number of states in Nigeria including Edo, Bayelsa, Kwara, Oyo, Ondo, Abia, Rivers, Osun, Ogun and my current state of residence, Lagos. POST-UTME examinations took me to at least three of these states; I know, the struggle for university admission is real. Most states except Lagos of course, always have the big welcome announcements like “Welcome to Delta State”. You may not realize it but “This is Lagos” gives you a heads-up to the reality of life here.
From my experience, there are a few things everyone needs to know before moving to the city that is always on the run.
You cannot beat the traffic
Like every capitalist city, Lagos is generally famous for its frantic and fast-paced life. If you have lived in Lagos, one core skill you can include to your resume is time management. Living in Ikeja, my usual day always began at 4 am to hustle my way to the shared convenience and get ready to leave the house by 5:30 am. Whenever I left this early, I felt pure joy because I knew I would meet the first BRT bus to Victoria Island which moved by 5:45 or 5:50 am. The plan was always to get to work by 7:40 am at most and I met this target 80% of the time. However, heading home was a different story because I was guaranteed at least four hours of traffic. In other words, you cannot beat Lagos traffic twice in one day.
English Language is for the Workplace
In Lagos, there is an unwritten rule that demands you to either converse in Yoruba or in pidgin. Pidgin is Nigeria’s unofficial universal language so if you do not understand Yoruba, please do well to speak pidgin. Several months ago, I boarded a but with a fellow ‘corper’ and when we alighted, he got into an argument with a tricycle (popularly called Keke) rider. As my colleague was trying to calm the rider down, the man kept getting annoyed. Shortly after, the keke rider blurted; “Na me no go school abi.. Abi you think say I no sabi English”. Best believe, I begged this man in every pidgin slang I knew. I felt sorry for my colleague and wondered how he could manage such situations. He couldn’t speak pidgin fluently because he lived in London most of his life and he didn’t understand Yoruba either.
Be smart
If you cannot understand Yoruba, you need to be as clever as a fox. Do not forget your change with a bus conductor and be ready to secure your seat on a bus at all cost. I remember how I struggled to get a bus from Ajah to Victoria Island before the COVID-19 lockdown. A passenger had gotten a seat but alighted to get a handkerchief. The young man took a while and when the bus driver started complaining I quickly claimed the empty seat. The man came back screaming at me to leave his seat but well, it was too late.
Unwind with a plan
The hustle and bustle life of Lagos will definitely leave you longing for a breather. From the windy beaches to wholesome restaurants, there are many places to unwind in Lagos. Just remember to plan your budget and stick to it. When exotic restaurants seem too pricey, visit the nice ‘buka’ that is always ready to serve you and when you get to the ‘buka’, remember to place your order within your budget. I learnt this the hard way… but that’s a story for another day.