My travels in Nigeria began in Lagos, the largest city and former capital of the country. Lagos is an enormous city and one of Africa’s major economic centers, with upscale business districts and high-rise buildings alongside crowded markets and densely populated neighborhoods. Many international visitors come here for business, and as an independent traveler I found Lagos to be one of the most expensive places I had visited in Africa. At the time I also avoided using credit cards, so I carried a large amount of cash instead. Above are two photos of some of the larger buildings I saw in Lagos.
The photos above are from Tinubu Square and Lagos’s Christ Cathedral. While I was walking around this area, I was approached by a police officer who told me I didn’t have permission to use a camera in Lagos and appeared to be looking for a “fine.” Fortunately another policeman nearby intervened, waved him off, and made it clear that I could continue taking photos. I was glad he was around. I had several frustrating experiences like this during my time in Lagos and eventually left the city earlier than I had planned. There were many modern districts, shopping malls, and upscale neighborhoods that I didn’t get a chance to visit, so maybe next time!
Some parts of Lagos could feel pretty intimidating, and roaming the streets alone led to a few interesting experiences. The man on the left was actually one of the nicest people I met. He initiated a conversation with me, and although I was a little defensive at first, it turned out he was genuinely interested in what I was doing and even let me take his photo. Only about five minutes later I came across a man covered in debris who was drilling some type of hole into the sidewalk with hand tools. When I asked him what he was doing, he looked up at me with a terrified expression and literally sprinted away. Other locals who saw this roared with laughter while another person yelled at him to get back to work. I actually felt pretty sorry for him! The group on the right seemed to be having a serious debate, although it didn’t appear confrontational.
Lagos was a city of extremes. Modern development and new construction could be found in some areas, while other neighborhoods had much more visible poverty. Enormous markets seemed to stretch for miles, and the population remained incredibly dense even as I traveled farther from the city center. I was told that some of the people I saw going through discarded material were collecting metal and plastic that could be reused or sold for recycling. While I occasionally received some not-so-welcoming stares in poorer neighborhoods, I received just as many friendly smiles and waves.
New construction was going on throughout parts of Lagos. I definitely failed to photograph some of the city’s more upscale areas, which is a major regret of mine. I saw new apartments and large houses being constructed near the coast, but never managed to get the photos I wanted. In a city this large and economically important, there was clearly an enormous range of wealth and development.
The only museum I visited in Lagos was the National Museum. The museum had statues, artifacts, ceremonial objects, masks, clothing, and other items representing different cultures and periods of Nigerian history. My favorite area was an exhibit that followed different stages of life and displayed objects associated with birth, ceremonies, adulthood, spirituality, and death. It was one of the most interesting places I visited in the city and gave me a much better look at Nigeria’s cultural history.
After the museum I made a trip to Bar Beach. There weren’t nearly as many people as I expected, although I visited on an overcast day. Food stands were selling Nigerian barbecue, and every few minutes someone on a horse would ask if I wanted a ride. A few people were swimming, but mostly it seemed like a place to walk around and relax. Lagos has many beaches, but this was the only one I visited. Some kids asked me to take their photo, and at first I hesitated because I wasn’t sure whether their father would be okay with it. Afterward he approached me, shook my hand and thanked me.
Walking along the beach became a little tiring because, as one of the few obvious foreign visitors around, I was approached constantly. Some people simply wanted to say hello, while others wanted to sell me something, offer a horse ride, or make some money as an informal guide. One guy ended up walking around with me for a while and seemed to know many people there. Later two other men approached and an argument suddenly broke out, with one of them eventually hitting him. I had no idea what the dispute was about, but at that point I returned to the car and my driver quickly left the area.
The beach itself had some pollution and trash when I visited. In the distance I could see a massive construction project extending into the ocean. This was the development that would become Eko Atlantic, an ambitious new district being built on reclaimed land along the Lagos coastline. At the time I visited, much of it was still under construction.
One of my favorite places around Lagos was the Lekki Conservation Centre. Despite being so close to the enormous city, the reserve protects a surprisingly wild environment with birds, reptiles, mammals, wetlands, and dense vegetation. I came across the warning sign above shortly after entering and also found this large lizard near the headquarters.
The boardwalk through the conservation area was nearly two kilometers long. There were several places to stop, including a bird-watching tower and a lookout near wetlands where crocodiles could occasionally be seen. I wasn’t able to spot any crocodiles, but I did see several lizards and plenty of other wildlife.
I saw several species of birds and lizards during the trail walk, although most were too fast for me to photograph. The monkeys were impossible to miss. It was hard to walk for fifteen minutes without seeing a group crashing through the trees or standing near the boardwalk. They were wild but obviously accustomed to people, which allowed me to get surprisingly close for these photos.
My last two photos from Lekki show some of the wetlands and open savannah. The savannah had a bird-watching tower that could be climbed by ladder, which is where I took the photo on the right. I hadn’t really considered the condition of the tower until I reached the top and realized that the entire structure swayed whenever I moved. I made sure not to make any sudden movements, watched a few vultures circling above, and then carefully climbed back down!
