As you get to Ojota ,the main entrance to Lagos from the ibadan axis, ,you see three royal statue symbolising Lagos .
Unlike other states of the federation, where you see “Welcome to so and so State ” ,there is no
” welcome to Lagos .
All you see written is
” This is Lagos”.
No one welcomes you.
You are to welcome yourself
You are told to enter and find your level
Because you are about to enter a “New life” in quote .
The new life though strange ,but ultimately rewarding.
You welcome yourself to a life where every day starts by 4am with vehicular traffic already building up and closes by 12 Midnight with the same narrative.
As the day breaks, the vehicular traffic ,is combined with Human traffic .
A typical of human traffic is evident at Oshodi or Balogun Market .
The 9 to 5 norm does not apply to Lagos .
If you wish close at work by 5pm , you a re still likely to get home by 10pm .
With all these hustle and bustle , Lagos still remains the city of choice for many who are upwardly mobile .
Anyone who is somebody and in Nigeria and has never been to Lagos, has more miles to cover.
Lagos is itself is a school .It teaches one the smartness in life .
Little wonder that
When lagos is put as a school of Choice ,Many take Lagos as their first Choice .
This brings us to the yoruba adage, which says ,èni dèbè lole sò…meaning ,it the only one who gets there that can tell . Literally meaning ,”seeing is believing”.
Lagos remains a great blessing to Nigeria .Believe it or not , Lagos remains the envy of other States .
Yes,Kano is big and commercial,Porthar Court is Oil rich ,But Lagos has its Uniqueness that Nothing compares with it .
Any one who has lived in Lagos can live in any part of the country successfully.
Having been to lagos ,he or she has seen it all .
Lagos combines the high and the low in one locality ..
For Instance ,Surulere area and Ikeja.
Such places , you
see the Bourgeoisie and the Masses combined,
co-habiting and peacefully too .
Unlike many states where individuals go solo, Lagos life is ” everyone for everybody and everybody for everyone “
Lagos is where you get help easily from people who do not know you from Adam.
Lagos is ahead of others in all spheres of life .
Major industrial players are clustered in Lagos so also the Captains of Industry.
It is common knowledge that any City situated along the corridor of the Atlantic ocean has a special Grandeur of its own .
This Atlantic brings with it Aquatic Splendour that no one can describe.
And materially, we are told that every day new things enter Lagos through the Ports .
The Tin Can Island ,Apapa Port among others.
It is therefore an understatement to say Lagos is a land of many opportunities .
It is a city with great attractions.And It’s often said that any one who is been away from Lagos for just three months is already lagging behind in fashion .
Have we wondered why at the mention of Lagos in any conversation, elsewhere in the country , heads are raised up towards the direction of that conversation?
The mention of Lagos symbolises sophistication. You tell anyone you been to Lagos , and you are considered as civilized ,yes , you are civilized indeed .
I do not know how come this is so ,but it is true .
Next time ,you have a holiday ,take a trip to Lagos .
You are likely to come came back with new paparazzi.
I have been through Lagos ,so I write from a point of view of an informed person.
In those days ,as an Advert Executive ,we combed the entire lagos island moving from the very first end of Broad Street to the last end ,on the Apogbon axis seeking for advert for a print media .
The attractions in lagos compares and competes favourably with those of other advance countries .
And if ever you’ve been to Accra, Addis Ababa or Nairobi ,then you know you are blessed as a Nigerian to have Lagos .
If you hear any one say ,”Lagos na baba” , he is correct .
No wonder all Nigerian artists cluster in Lagos .
Don’t blame them , they are rightly guided .
The other day I had a chat with a young, hardworking sales girl in Abuja but hails from Benue .She is going on Christmas Holiday and I ask, Naomi ,when are you coming back ?
I will not come back ,am going to lagos after the holiday , she said .
Wao , I rejoice with her knowing fully well she is about to enter into a social ,sophisticated and Educative society.
What will you be doing in Lagos ,I ask .
Am going to school ,she replied.
At 18 years, she is lucky to start her journey this way, there after she will be able to live in any part Nigeria .
Other states are equally blessed with one natural resources or the other , ThereFore this write up is not to be seem as derogatory ,rather, it is to say that the main slogan should be ” Lagos and others”
Lagos in addition to all the aquatic blessings also has the Human relations traits associated with any Sophisticated society .
Lagos is a City which offers all lessons you can never get in the four walls of the University.
Little wonder lagos has the largest representation of all the tribes in Nigeria.
It is an Institution for learning lessons that can equip you for life,s journey .
Lagos is a circular state for instance ..it has thousand and one churches so also countless number of mosques.
Both most times closely situated and no religious violence occurs .
Lagos never sleeps .
If ever you had delay in traffic from Ibadan ,and you happen to enter Lagos Midnight you are likely to see the man cooking indomie and boiling tea and there you see people waiting to be served .
Nigeria,s fore fathers who made lagos the Nigerian capital were right afterall .
Lagos has all it takes as a Nations capital , Except that it is a Small Island surrounded by water .
The skyscraper buildings on Victorial Island, and lagos Island are major attractions even to the foreigners .
And that is why Lagos is listed among the major Cities of the World .
Unlike area such as Miatama in Abuja where streets have names such , Lake Chad, Missisipi, river niger ,river Benue, in lagos especially on Victoria island you see streets with personality names such as Ajose Adeogun , Adeola Odeku ,Ozumba Nbadiwe ,Adeola Hopewell,Ademola Alakija ,Adetokunbo Ademola,Balarabe Musa ,Akin Adesola ,Bishop Oluwole among others and the Edifice on these streets live up to their names .
And Like any other civilised society, Lagos has its owns share of miscreants and juvenile delinquents .
however, the Golden opportunities in the City outshines them .
This write up is not to say everybody must live in Lagos , what we say is ,visit lagos briefly ,attend it as a school and comeback .
You are sure to have a new perceptions about life .
Nigeria is indeed blessed to have Lagos .
Lagos is an eye opener .
Lagos is versed .
it cannot be described in one Sentence .
Rashidat Yusuf
Writes from Abuja. Yusufrashidat12@gmail.com.
