Nigeria, the land of plenty

the point of no return in Badagry Badagry lies on the sea just a few kilometers east from the border between Nigeria and Benin. It is a peaceful town with a past. It was one of the place where slave traders met with buyers. The slaves were quartered in a compound by the lagoon side in small stuffy rooms. The guide was saying 40 people were locked in a cell of roughly 10 to 15 square meters. No bathroom, no place to ease yourself, just the ground. The low ceiling was preventing a good aeration and most definitely the rise of heat. Slaves were usually captured by local tribes from warring neighbours: selling prisoners to Europeans was a good way to dispose of them for goods in exchange such as large umbrellas, guns, porcelain, etc... For those sold, they had to face the journey from their cell to the sea, at the Point of no Return, where they would board on ships to be ferried away into the unknown. one last sip before... First they had to cross the lagoon on a boat and then wa...

open house Pop Beach is like a jewel on the side of the ocean. It is not far from the center of Lagos, it takes 20 minutes away by boat from Victoria Island. A building with two rooms painted in rainbow colors serve as the dining and lounge areas. The eating room is open on both side leaving the breeze cool down the guests and opening on a wooden terrace with a nice rectangle pool and sun-beds with white cloth as screen which float with the air and beyond is the ocean. On top of the building is a roof terrace which can be enjoyed when the sun is not too hot for drinks or yoga. The place is carefully designed for soothing in a tasteful way. pop dining As we arrived and for a large part of the afternoon Bob Marley was filling the air. The owner and the few guests were spread in different corners, there was space to breathe. The decoration was colorful and tasteful. The place has two "chalets" design in the same spirit as the main building, except that they have a se...

demolition in progress Ikoyi was once the place where rich Nigerians were living as well as the British. It is still possible today to see one or two storey colonial houses surrounded by trees. These are now in poor shape and the pace of redevelopment is accelerating. At a time where oil is cheap and foreign currency can't be sent abroad easily, there has been an explosion of new constructions as a way to use the foreign cash available to some happy connected few. Some sites are for hotels, some are for offices and some are residential. Land being very expensive, buildings are gaining more floors and occupying a larger percentage of the ground surface. The usual victims of this rapid reshaping of Ikoyi are trees which are being cut remorselessly. demolition completed It is along those lines that I witness the scraping of the house next door. It was bulldozed in one night and rubbles were cleared in another 12 hours. The trees are still standing until redevelopment is start...

KM 31 is nearing, smile Saturday February 6th, 2015 was the day of the 2016 Lagos marathon. Hold on a Saturday not to collide with church service on Sunday. The event, started at 7am, ran through much of the city. It started on the Mainland at the National Stadium then went through Oshodi before coming to Third Mainland bridge, the emblematic bridge of Lagos that runs on the lagoon for over 10km and offers a view on Makoko where streets are replaced by water and house are perched on wooden pillars. From the bridge one can have a look at the skyline of the islands. Then the marathon went on through Ikoyi to the Lekki Bridge before reaching Victoria Island, going back to Ikoyi before finishing on Bar beach next to the future city of Eko Atlantic. everyone is welcome Many participants joined the run, numbers up to 20,000 could be seen on the bibs. Kenyans arrived on first and second position; an Ethiopian arrived third. The weather was hot and it probably took a toll on the run...