Practical Guide To Living The Lagos Life [Fun, Food, Struggles & Safety]

Ever heard about Lagos life? Well, Lagos is the most populous city in Africa, and living in it comes with pros and cons.

Ironically, it claims a small portion on the Nigerian map yet it contains millions. The state has the smallest landmass, but we can call it ‘Small but mighty because it controls 60 percent of the nation’s economy.

A Guide To Living In Lagos, Nigeria

Life in Lagos, especially for mums, can be simple, easy, and tough. This is because there is high competition on both bourgeoisies and Proletariats.

The bourgeoisie is those elites in the urban areas. They are the money-talkers of Lagos.

The proletariats are the commoners. These people work extra hard to put food on their tables.

So, talking about life in Lagos is not balanced if we don’t discuss it from the angle of the street and city. Living in Lagos, you must have experienced any or both of these:

Lagos Streetlife And Its Challenges

The low-income earners live a simple life. This is because they live within their means.

Life in Lagos is all about creativity and hard work for these people. The saying survival of the fittest is a reality to these parts of Lagos- Ajegunle, Mushin, Bariga, etc. These places are found on the mainland.

Life can be tough and overbearing because you can hardly find good jobs around there. This hypes criminal activities.

Cleanliness is next to godliness but how can life be easy when your environment is polluted? Starting from the refuse dumps, swampy areas, and poorly constructed houses, it is obvious that life here is tough.

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The struggle is real in the heart of Lagos. You find people going into all sorts of trade to make ends meet. Lagosians can sell virtually anything, no matter how insignificant it might seem, as long as it feeds them.

You can find lots of street hawkers selling sachet water, street snacks, and so on. You find people living under the bridge, in zinc houses or wood houses.

The most lucrative job in these areas is food selling. This is because food is a necessity. The likes of Ewa, Amala, Ewedu, Agidi, etc are sold off daily.

The next lucrative job here is selling plastic bottles. The high dump of refuse in the areas makes it easy to find bottles in their heaps ready for sale to recycling companies. These companies in turn pay them chunks.

People who live here learn entrepreneurship skills like tailoring, mechanics, shoe making/repairs, hairdressing, etc.

Even though life in these parts of Lagos is not easy, it is quite simple. There is a sense of unity amongst the people. They celebrate festivals and events in their little way.

Staying in this part of Lagos, you have to be smart or someone will outsmart you. Any show of weakness and you will be trampled upon. So, you cannot afford to be dull.

There is low security of goods and properties even in broad daylight. Though everyone wants to make a living, others do it by hook or cranny.

Traffic and congestion in these areas are terrible. However, the prices of goods are quite affordable given that they’re imported into Lagos directly. This makes the cost of living affordable.

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City Life In Lagos

This is the island part of Lagos consisting of major places like Lagos Island, Epe, Ikorodu Ikeja, Surulere, Yaba, Apapa, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, etc.

Life in the city can be easy and complicated. It is not as simple as street life. Everyone minds their business in the city.

The daily routine is always the same – From well-structured houses to the beautiful offices, back to the house, or Hangouts.

Life here is all about luxury display. Most people want to show off their wealth and properties to maintain their status or belong to a certain group.

Making genuine friends in Lagos city life is almost impossible. This is because people tend to get close because of what you can offer them. Most times they are just sycophants and not friends.

The luxury makes it enticing but it can be frustrating because you always fight to keep the standard.

Competition is on the increase in offices. Most business ventures keep thriving to maintain their position in the eyes of customers whereas others thrive to get there.

You find skyscrapers, mansions, hotels, conservations and zoos, beaches and lots of fun places in the city. You can see different kinds of cars on the beautiful roads as well.

The city attracts tourists from all over the world. You get to meet whites and blacks from other continents. You have higher chances of making connections as well.

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Lagos life on the island is more convenient compared to the mainland. The prices of goods and services in these parts are exorbitant yet they enjoy life to the fullest. It is always about parties and clubs at night.

The crime rate on this part is less compared to the mainland where bag snatching, pickpocketing, and fight breakouts are the order of the day.

Since security in these areas is tight, crimes are more polished and refined. You don’t find petty crimes instead they are well-thought-of to look believable.

Fraud is on another level in the city. You find the production of counterfeits, impersonation, fake IDs and certificates, gambling, etc.

Life in Lagos is very interesting. Naturally, the weather is favorable. It is not as hot as some parts of Nigeria. There are various job opportunities because you can find lots of industries, companies, and organizations there.

It is also quite fun in Lagos. You meet different people every day, see different occurrences, and always have something to talk about.

It is believed that those who live in Lagos hardly die of depression because they have grown tough skin. As such, they are willing to face whatsoever life throws at them.

Due to congestion, there is high traffic. Indeed, Lagos never sleeps because even at 4 am, the roads are already jammed with various vehicles. At every road spot, you find the ‘Agberos’ beckoning on passengers to board the ‘Danfo’ buses using all sorts of funny tricks.

Living in Lagos, you should be fluent in Yoruba, which is the indigenous language and pidgin. Pidgin makes it possible for people from other ethnic backgrounds to communicate and understand each other.

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