The other day I had a conservation with my younger brother visiting Lagos from Abuja on the living conditions in Lagos currently. Somehow it turned into a comparison of these two cities. But I won’t do that here. I intend to just present my own case in one long argument with five (5) premises.
The Price of food.
The price of food in Lagos fluctuates with the price of everything else and when it rises, it never comes back down like gravity. Even though my mama taught me to save money by cooking my own meals, sometimes, buying your lunch and breakfast may become so tempting and may be even necessary when the price of everything in the market scares you away from your own kitchen.
The price of accommodation
If the “agents” who have suddenly upgraded from sign boards on odd places to web and mobile apps, don’t empty your pocket while you search for your own place, the landlords rent and all other fees included surely will lead you to break the bank. Asides from rent, there’s the dazzling monthly bills you accrue from utility. Utility of social amenities that you only hear about but never see. Which brings us to.
Light, Water, Road
No light, no water and a startling cue at filling stations. My Abuja visitor had to visit his Alma Mata on Badagry expressway, Federal Government College, Ijanikin and he came back recounting how unsightly the expressway had turned into. According to him, the whole stretch of the road is very nearly gone and completely unmotorable (pardon my grammar).
The price of transportation
In Abuja, you can go from Karu to Central business district and back with 300 naira and still time yourself. That distance in Lagos will take almost a thousand naira from your savings, no argument. If you have your own car, you have no real privilege over those who don’t. In fact, you are likely to find yourself stuck in your car in traffic for hours on end. If that is not enough discouragement, then the cue at the fuel station surely is.
Now if all these things don’t kill you in Lagos, your NEIGHBORS will. Yes, your frustrated neighbour how has probably had an identical fitful day as you, may just bash into you or run you over. I’ve heard stories of husbands beating their wives to a pulp after coming home from work or tenants waging war on landlords at every opportunity.
Maybe all of these things happen everywhere else in Nigeria but I live in Lagos right now and I have lived in four (4) other cities in Nigeria. Lagos still remains my least favourite.
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