Nigeria, the land of plenty

selling snacks and contemplating the sea Eleko beach is located on the Lekki peninsula, half an hour away from Lagos Islands. The access is controlled by area boys who are asking for a standard fee of 500 naira per person (visitors) but if you are asking for a receipt you can actually spend much less because then the money goes directly in pocket of the recipient (and perhaps a few other guys who are more senior). One side of the beach is where every goes and the other side is dedicated to beach huts set on a small pieces of land facing the ocean. The huts are on stilts. sea and shipwreck, should we stay or should we go? The one we visited belonged to someone we did not know but the one looking after was happy to rent it for a fee to us. He organised a barbecue with a few fishes, not so big but fresh from the sea. The beach itself was fairly empty, if not for all the plastic wastes. A sea of shoes remains mingling with all sorts  of plastic bottles, etc... C...

the Magajin Garin of Zazzau in his audience room Northern states in Nigeria are composed of a number of Emirates. The Emirs are the rulers of the people. Many of them of Fulani origin while the population is mostly from Hausa origin. In the particular case of Zaria, Fulani warriors conquered the Emirate at the beginning of the 19th century (1805) and since then Emirs are been chosen from the royal family. There is therefore a blood tie between them. Among the famous Emirates is the one of Zaria with Alhaji Shehu Idriss being the Emir of Zazzau, Kano with the Emir Muhamadu Sanusi II who was previously minister of finance in the government of Jonathan Goodluck, under the name of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. He was asked to go upon revealing the existing a hole of several billion dollars in the State coffers. Then there are Sokoto, Katsina, etc... the old town in Zaria Zaria is a town famous for its Usman Danfodio University with several tenth of thousand students, for its old town ma...

coming back from playing soccer After the busy visit of Balogun market on a week day, one wonders if Lagos Island can ever be a peaceful place. Well yes, on Sundays the streets are quiet, left to church goers, youth playing football on the asphalt or taking a walk, some food sellers offering to fill the stomachs of people with appetite for a large portion of amala, of rice or pounded yam. Only local residents are to be seen on a Sunday morning. Central Bank and Tinubu square Shops are closed, the traders filling up the island are not to be seen. It is the right time to take a walk to enjoy the streets largely empty of vehicles. The financial district is built next to Marina, with the impressive building of the central bank next to Tinubu Square which has a park with water animations closed to the ordinary people. Time also to see a few colonial buildings that constitute most of the history of Lagos, where the British established their administration with Lord Lugard. The fir...