Nigeria, the land of plenty

Lagos Island, the old business center Back to the 70's what is striking about Lagos Island is the amount of ageing concrete buildings worn out by the heat, the salt and the humidity. It was probably at its peak in the late 60s or 70s. The streets are generally one-way and narrow, full of bustle and traffic during the day. Life is everywhere on the street, even late at night. Government offices are still partly there. The Central Bank building towers it. Lagos Island is actually the link between Mainland, Ikoyi and Victoria Island. Freedom park, the old prison The old prison was turned into an event space called "freedom park" accessed from prison street. This is a popular hangout place for middle-class Nigerians and foreigners. It is hosting a monthly edition of Afropolitan Vibes, an evening when local bands come and play. This year, it hosted the Lagos Jazz Festival , which is displaying local bands playing all sorts of music with a possible jazzy ...

carnival friends Morning start Everything started around 10am on Saturday morning, buses brought young people dressed in feathers and strass. Every region or area had its own set of colors and design. We went to the smallest gathering point by the waterside in Ikoyi. Participants were getting in rows in order to get ready for the procession. The groups were composed of dancers and musicians. Some groups had substituted musicians with a truck loaded with speakers broadcasting club music. As the participants gathered, the music was getting deeper in minds and bodies which started to shake. The parking lot area soon transformed in a giant open-air disco.  A group in blue was the less disciplined of all and the more open to be photographed as they saw my camera. It was a rare moment of foolishness and intimacy where boys and girls would just strike fancy pauses and send kisses, play with their tongues in a happy sort of way. The Party had really started! ...

Freedom park, the jail turned into a happening place Lagos jazz festival 2015 Among the nice things happening in Lagos, there is the Jazz festival, which took place this year at Freedom Park in Lagos Island, on the premises of a former jail. The rugged walls still hold the place together; inside the large courtyard is planted with trees, flowers and concrete. Three stages happening to play simultaneously at times, each one trying to hide the noise of the others. Stage number 2 of "jazz in the mega city!" The program, split over 3 days, went crescendo from amateur to professional and from mainstream and traditional music to real jazz on the last day. Nearly all artists were from Nigeria, except a group from South Africa which left one wonder why it had been invited. The vast space was far from full perhaps as a result of entry fees (though modest), fuel scarcity and perhaps lack of advertising. What is more jazz is perhaps very abstract to local taste.  ...

Yaba, the new place to be Yaba is the cool place to be, a lot of companies, start-ups - like Konga a local e-commerce marketplace - and institutions are shifting there in search of a cheaper rent, more space and perhaps to avoid the daily commute to the islands which can be quite cumbersome at times. Yaba is an old area of Lagos, full of what used to be colonial houses. These somehow weathered through the years and the hot and humid climate. It is between the railway station and the lagoon along its huge wood processing slum. Alliance Française is now there. Circulation is a bit tough with lots of one-way streets, not to sure if motorcycles are allowed, despite signage they seem to be tolerated! motorcycle or no motorcycle, that is the question