Nigeria, the land of plenty

Shango is stronger than fire The day we visited the sacred grove, a very menacing storm had just passed and the rain was still falling gently. As we approached the last group of sculptures we heard the sound of drum beating. It was a group of colorfully dressed dancers performing in the honor of Shango. The dance took place at the feet of the statue of security. Four drummers were creating the beat of the dance and one man a few group of girls were dancing and praising Shango, a caracter dressed in red. At some point Shango took some fire on a metal stick impregnated with fuel and swallowed it twice, showing his control of that element. He then went on bringing the flame close to his flesh: hands, arms and legs were purified by the fire one after the other. setting the rythm  Later on, as the rain was still falling a second set of dances took place next to another statue. This time, explained the university art professor who had interpreted Shango, it was an experimen...

Alajogun-Alajere-Obluaye Osogbo is one of the few touristic destinations in Nigeria to be highlighted in western travel guides. This is because an austrian artist, Suzanne Wenger, came to Nigeria in the sixties and decided to stay in Osogbo for the rest of her life as she became a yoruba high priest under the name of Adunni. She worked with her then boyfriend Ulli Beier to create concrete and iron sculptures in the sacred grove of Osogbo, a wood on a hill traversed by a river. The place is a sacred place of worship to Yoruba gods. Oshun along the river Suzanne Wenger passed away in 2009 but the grove is still standing. Her work has been restored recently and is attracting visitors from around the globe. There is a festival in the last week of August with traditional celebrations that gathers most of the tourist in the year. the palace The grove hosts a palace with a thatched roof and walls of mud painted with basic shapes in white, yellow and dark red. A mix ...

welcome to the Ice Imperial party The rumour goes that Nigeria is the second largest champagne consumer in the world after France. At first sight it comes as a surprise but that could very well be true. Nigerians love drinking champagne especially rosé. All supermarkets in Lagos are stocking expensive brands - the brand seems to play a very important role in consumption -  from Moet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Dom Pérignon, etc... The same in bars and clubs. So there would not be an offer without demand. serve it on the rocks even if you sweat That afternoon, Moet & Chandon launched its new Ice Imperial, a champagne designed to be drunk on the rocks, at the pool terrace of the newly renovated Radisson Blue in Victoria Island which sits by the lagoon side. The party started at 2pm and shade was scarce so the rocks were very welcome in the champagne! The day was unusually hot, the sky blue without a cloud. The dress code was "white" to match the color of...

going to Ibadan Going to Ibadan from Lagos can be a  long journey if on a bad day . The road traverses Ogun state before entering Oyo state, where Ibadan is located. As for most big cities, the approach is progressive, crossing suburbs and industrial area. In the case of Ibadan, though, it feels more like densification of houses, corrugated iron roofs and people at the roadside markets. colourful on a grey day Despite its alleged 4 million inhabitants, there is no real downtown and very few skyscrapers (though Cocoa House built in the sixties, 105m tall, was once the highest building in that part of Africa). It is merely a sprawl of buildings with a few floors if at all. busy landscape By one estimate in 2000, the city was covering 400km2 - four times central Paris. The city has developed as a trading hub: the railway Lagos- Kano goes through it and it has an airport. The surrounding area is full of arable land. One only gets a sense of the city...

a nearly fearless driver Ibadan is a large city, third largest in Nigeria probably, with 3 or 4 million inhabitants. Its growth is fueled by the vicinity of Lagos. It lies about 100km north east of Lagos. The road linking Lagos and Ibadan looks like a run-down motorway in the US, 2 by 2 lanes with a concrete divide that cannot be crossed. powerful and well guarded The road is famous for its mega-churches along the way that can cause huge traffic disruption when a celebration is on due to the cheer size of the faithful who congregate their. These churches look like warehouses able to contain thousands of people. The largest one being built will be a hall, 2km long (only). Muslims are in minority in the south of the country. islamic city by the roadside Then, there is a number of companies that are established a long the way resulting in a concentration of trucks parked along the road, not to mention all the ones that are just abandoned there, rusting away slowly...