Nigeria, the land of plenty

the pick-up that carried a ship It was mid morning and the sun was gently lighting-up the scene of a red-wine colored pick-up being loaded up with heavy chunks of metal that had just been cut off the remains of a shipwreck, landed on Tarkwa waterfront. Shadows were weakened by the presence of Harmattan dust that diffused sunlight. A pair of muscular young men were standing at the back of the pick-up to receive the chunks lifted up by another team of six. They were employed by the owner of the pick-up who stood by watching the scene. They had a similar structure as the crew I had met working on Ilashe beach . One of the boys was keen to show-off a bit, so he was holding his golden rimmed feature phone in one hand while maneuvering upward a large piece of metal to tilt it further. This was not very efficient but he must have thought it looked cool! a pilot ship landed here a few years ago A large space was full of water like a crater lake surr...

connecting between mother Earth and Heavens Waves are crashing remorselessly on the sand of the ocean-shore beach, westward of the entrance of Lagos harbor. This stretch of sand is protected by the stone wall which extends into the sea up to a lighthouse to signal the entrance into the Lagos lagoon. As a result, the water current is deviated from the coast such that sand declivity into the water is minimal. It is a good place to safely go into the water. A group of women, aligned on the sand, stands on one leg. They are looking at their yoga instructors who are currently standing on their heads. The women, who wear the same dark blue sweater, after having exercised for ten or fifteen minutes soon retire under their light shed to have some food and some drinks. The two instructors, meanwhile, carry on executing more advanced positions. a fairly quiet sea The sun has actually disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds forming to the outer rim of a storm positioned...

guys, let's get it done while the tide is low Low tide is a blessing in Ilashe. Waves are much less powerful than during high tide making bathing very pleasant for those who want take a dip in the warm water. The sea also uncovers some surprises. The seashore is punctuated by abandoned ship wrecks. Some of them appear only at low tide, covered by algae. This means money opportunity for local communities who engage in the dismantling of those remains. Andrew Anetor is leading a team of young athletic boys, about 7 of them, to break those metallic structures into pieces that are small enough to be carried at the back of his pick-up. He was raised in the UK and lived in a few countries abroad before coming back to Nigeria. He resides in Tarkwa Bay and scrap metal collection for recycling has become his bread-earner. Andrew Anetor and the dismantlers Very short white hairs are perceptible on this face. He probably shaved a few days ago. His face is weathered and he proba...

Happy New Year! New Year's Day in Lagos, what can one do? Going to the beach is obviously an option. The sun shines as usual and this is where many of us are going to have a good time. so let's do it! The day will go by easy, for most, while some will go the extra mile to have fun. Acrobats taking advantage of the piles of dead plants that invaded the lagoon in the past few weeks, some kind of water jacinth, to jump and do saltos. wishing you a safe landing this year Some will play football with the tenue de rigueur ( yours underpants must be clearly visible above your shorts). it's cool to show you're wearing underpants Some others will prefer a warm bath at sunset. taking a happy dip In any case don't neglect your style. flower power

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...