Living In Lagos Is Toxic!

Busy Lagos Market.
Image: Financial Times

I moved to Lagos in January 2016, to take a certificate course in Film Directing at Royal Arts Academy. This was a big move for me because I had never lived anywhere but the Northern part of the country and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to acclimatize to the culture shock of the new town. Plus, I had heard so many things about Lagos that convinced me that Éko was not for me. Long story short, the stories are true!

The Maryland Bridge Hawker

The Maryland Bridge Hawker.
Image: Chibuike Casmir

Lagos traffic is horrible! That is a fact. I am sure that anyone who lives or has visited Lagos one time or another can attest to this fact. It is also true that when there is that ugly traffic jam, there is almost nothing you wouldn’t see. It could be a fighting agbero, an impatient driver, the surprising ways people meander through traffic or that hawker that would chase a bus just so he can sell a bottle of fizzy drinks for ₦100. Usually, traffic in Lagos is a bedlam of activities, a combination of awful smells, an absolute drag and a time-wasting event!

With all that craziness, there is that time when you get to see a genuine source of inspiration!

I did. Let me tell you what happened.