LAGOS CITY - FOR THE FAST AND FURIOUS

The earth is a wonderful place and Nigeria is a blessed country filled with loads of resources, talents, skills and highly spirted people facing the odds squarely.

I live in Lagos 

Lagos (Yoruba: Èkó) is a city in a Nigerian state of the same name. The city, with its adjoining conurbation, is the largest in Nigeria, as well as on the African continent. It is one of the fastest growing in the world and also one of the most populous urban agglomerations. Lagos is a major financial Centre in Africa:

and I have observed that my fellow Lagosians are very impatient. Recently, I boarded a bus and while the conductor/driver was calling out for passengers, he quietly implied that he was not going to follow the regular route to our destination. Before he could finish speaking, several passengers quickly alighted from the bus and joined the next bus on the queue. Interestingly, the second bus even left before ours could get filled up with passengers.

As if that wasn’t annoying enough, he eventually followed the route he implied he wasn’t going to follow and there we met our water loo. Stand still traffic for over one hour. Even in remembrance I’m so furious.

In traffic, the impatience of Lagosians is prominent. Car drivers honk their horns as if any one second delay could put their business or lives in eternal jeopardy. 

Nobody likes to wait especially in a fast food joint where Lagosians expect to be served within nanoseconds. My Lagos people, make una take life easy, abeg!

But you cannot expect any less. Lagosians believe time is money. On some public vehicles, you will see interesting slogans like ‘Time waits for no man’. Lagosians don’t wait for anybody. 

They don’t like slow drivers, talkers or learners. In fact, if you act inexperienced in any manner, you are asked in a condescending way, ‘You be learner? Meaning, are you a dull person?’ Lagosian believe that you must be sharp to survive its fierce life.

Last year, when I travelled to another city in Nigeria, I observed that people took their time in carrying out their duties. Even the driver who took us to and from the airport said he gets up at about 7:30 am and never feels the need to rush. He vowed that he would never leave in a place like Lagos. With the need for speed exhibited by Lagosians, it is no surprise that they would carry it to their contraceptive life. 

Haba! Eko o ni baje o!