Lagos

Lagos
The center of excellence
Or so it is called
The heart beat of Nigeria
A place were everything happens
The good, the bad, the ugly and the very ugly
A safe place and then again a not so safe place
Moving from Ajegunle to Ojuelegba
From Oshodi to Alakpere
The ‘Area boys Rule’
They are the best in their trade!
Their trade you say?
Oh yes! For you cannot outwit their ability
To snatch your bags, pick your pockets and rob your cars!
Sometimes they ask nicely!
The bus conductors with their gravely voices
Yelling their destination amidst the crowd of waiting passengers
“Sanfield! Yaba! Costain! Ojota! Ketu! Mushin!”
The list is endless!
The numerous hawkers crowding the streets
Pushing their wares to your face
“Sister buy this! Brother this is good!” they holler

In Lagos!
Everyone learns to be tough!
Yet we know where and how to have fun!
The joints, beer parlors, restaurants, eateries and best of all the Bukas
Where we get the best of the local food:
Amala and Ewedu, Pounded- yam and Vegetable, Eba and Egusi

A city of the famous and rich
A city of the poor
A city of the black and white
A city for the young and the old
A city for everyone!

The city with the busiest roads!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! the endless traffic
The yellow busses and taxis
The numerous cars that crowd the road
The molues! And best of all the dangerous yet necessary Okadas!
All honking their way through from dusk to dawn
It’s amazing how people get around!
The bridges crossing from one town to another
The endless stretch of sand covering the beaches that surround the city
The beautiful sky scrappers of Marina and Broad Street,
The high rising apartments of Victoria Island and Ikoyi
The awesome estates of Lekki
The fish farmers hut on the shores of the sea
The one-room flats of Ajegunle and the low cost houses of Gbagada
Everything and everyone makes up the beauty of Lagos

Its no wonder everyone wants to come to lagos
A true mix of different people of different nationals
Different traits, tribes, races and languages
The Igbos, Yorubas and Hausas
This is the mystery of Lagos

A city I call home
Eko for sure
Eko for life
Eko O ni baje




Debbie Ubaru