Nigeria, the land of plenty

chic students on a Sunday Ile Ife has a huge university campus, a lot of green with an interesting collection of architecturally sophisticated buildings from the 60s. It was created in 1962. A lot of creativity went into there design and they feature like modernity decaying in the middle of nature which even if unkempt remains beautiful. Today the university hosts several tens of thousands of students. when nature and concrete gracefully share the same space Large trees host thousands of large bats that go on errand for breakfast and dinner filling up the sky in  frightening dance in the air. Each faculty has a different design and was sponsored by a different donor. Concrete was a favorite of the time and through the sheer size of the buildings it must have meant that fortunes were spent in the construction. Alas maintenance is not the pass-time of Nigerian so many of the building are in need of a lifting. A-shaped We met a foreign lecturer who told us that professi...

welcome to Makoko Makoko is nested along the mainland of Yaba. It is build on the shallow waters of the lagoon. It is neighbouring another area where wood logs transported from forests in Oyo are being turned into construction wood. Some fire wood smoke permanently fills the sky and depending on the direction and strength of the wind is thickening the air with a strong smell as well. Circulation is by wooden boat exclusively, motors are pretty much impractical on the narrow waterways that separate the houses built on stilts. Especially so, because these water channels are full of boats transporting people and mini-shops, here a lady selling hot food, another one fruits, a third clothes, grocery, etc... During peak hour, boats are bumping gently into each other and crossings can require a bit of coordination to let everyone go its own way. doing business in traffic Kids are numerous, playing together on the tiny spaces above the water, on small wooden terraces, sometimes also ...

egungun collecting money in the leather bag Whispering palms is the name of a resort located on the lagoon between Lagos and Badagry. A sort of local fun place with rooms and sport facilities, music animations on week-ends. Locals congregate there on week-ends as the place of happening. As a matter of fact the nearest place is a village fairly simple, crossed by what is now a bumpy dirt track - it may have been a proper road in a distant past. As we crossed the village, on our way back, a masquerade was taking place. A crowd of men, armed with sticks or branches were surrounding an Egungun (Yoruba spirit) who, at the sound of the drums, was visiting each and every house to collect money offerings. It was said that those who did not want to give would be flogged as an encouragement to disburse something. That was a proper crowdfunding affair on a mandatory basis. the masquerade with sticks and drums The Egungun was covered by colorful clothes and a mask at the back of his hea...