Nigeria, the land of plenty

of high-heels, beards and smartphones Saturday night, these are the last hours of the Lagos Fashion Week 2017. It takes place under a large air-conditioned marquee set-up in the middle of Eko Atlantic. The ambitious smart city is still work in progress. Just a few of the planned towers have been erected, but it is an adequate place for a large and chic gathering with an ounce of adventure in the middle of an empty space reclaimed on the sea. The city may not exist yet but a large paved boulevard is leading to the heart of the future city. It is perfect to go to a function where high-heels are de rigueur. And there is plenty of space to park. The theme of this year's Lagos Fashion Week modestly reads "Africa: Shaping Fashion's Future". As I come there at eight thirty in the evening, not much is happening outside the marquee, but judging by the amount of cars parked far away from the entrance, the hall must be packed. There is a relaxed atmosphere as ...

elegant round announcement The wind was sweeping sand over a vast flat expanse. Light from street poles was giving a dimension to the space in the night. City skyline was visible on the horizon. In the center of that expanse stood a box ring erected on the occasion of a "white collar charity box tournament" called "Rumble on the Atlantic". The scene took place in the middle of Eko Atlantic. Club lights and sound system filled the air of what is due to become a smart or futuristic city of the area. Around the ring were VIP tables catered with small chops (the usual chicken wings, fish fingers, samosas, liver etc...) and gin cocktails. Water was nowhere to be found. Behind the tables dressed in red, where black clad plastic chairs for ordinary guests. wait, don't throw him just yet The tournament started with light weight fight where the two opponents seemed cautious of not punching or being punched to hard. Then came a more aggressive pair opposing a Sou...

dragon cloud over Victoria Island Despite the economic difficulties: the strong and hard-to-find dollar, the falling naira, the Niger Delta Avengers successful attempt to cut down the oil production by blowing up pipelines;  Lagos goes on building-up further. New places mushroom and others disappear like the cool Seaside, which was set-up on land belonging to Lagos State and recently flattened by bull-dozers. A new place is born, sort of consolation for the amateurs of fresh air: the Eko hotel rooftop which offers breathtaking views over the ocean, the upcoming Eko Atlantik and Victoria Island. A great place which locals tend not to like because the breeze is too strong. The music is not too loud. As the night comes, city lights are filling-up the air inviting to some photographic experiment, this time round the light painting option of my new phone camera. Nestoil, the latest skyscraper in town VI colours Adetokunbo Ademola street

coconut treats for sale Tarkwa Bay is a stretch of divinely fine sand at the exit of the lagoon into the ocean, it is shielded from the high sea by a seawall of huge stone blocks which provides to the beach goers a bit intimacy from the tankers entering the harbour of Lagos. a beach with a view Opposite the lagoon entrance is a vast construction work for the birth of a new city, Eko Atlantic: 250,000 people will live there on 9 million square meters. This will be a new center for finance and energy sectors, built on reclaimed land. It will be powered by its own power grid, independent of the rest of the country which produces about 20% of what Nigeria needs everyday. So far three towers have come up the ground. Eko Atlantic: one, two, three Well, back to the plastic strewn beach. it is a quiet getaway from the city center, a 15 minutes boat ride from Falomo bridge in Victoria Island. The sand stretch is lined up with reclining chairs of wood and cloth. A c...

electric cherry blossoms on New Year's eve New Year's Eve at Bar Beach On Dec31st,14, Bar Beach, the place where meagre horses can be hired to carry beach goers to the sea side on the south of Victoria Island, was busy with preparation for a big concert hosting several of the many nigerian celebrities like  P-Square  or  D'banj , etc… The New Year's Eve concert would grace the ears of walkers-by going along Bar beach, made pedestrian area on the occasion. But obviously, a VIP area with a dedicated entrance next to the Eko Atlantic office needed to be there so that everyone could belong where one belonged. shaking it on the asphalt The good surprise was the happy mood of people coming to enjoy the music, shaking it on the asphalt and watching the firework fired from afar, somewhere on the edge on the upcoming Eko Atlantic city. fireworks are best watched on smartphones                   ...