The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this fall will focus on Lagos in its City To City programme. Lagos “tori” (story) in Canada! Stumbling on this information recently, brought back nostalgic feelings of life in Eko. If you have visited or lived in Lagos, you are a depository of stories with a unique lens. Sometimes when people ask about Nigeria, they say, “Oh, are you from Lagus? Or “I know Nigeria, I have been to Lagoose!”
Lagos simmers with stories of struggles, survival, and also success; things just finally coming together and gelling! It is a city that instils strength and resilience in its diverse populace. It brings out the best and sometimes the worst in people, but one that reflects the often intertwined human experiences that leave one gaping. It is a place where people “trek” into their dreams!
Lagos is like the national “bus stop”. Some people were born, bred, and buttered in Lagos. Some were “lured” to Lagos with fantastic promises. Some “relocated” because of a job. Some were just “dropped off” or “shipped” to Lagos. Some just followed somebody that was following somebody to Lagos. People have stories of how they “landed” in Lagos; some pleasant or as a result of hard times like in a family where children had to go live with relatives. For some, moving to Lagos from the village is like travelling “abroad” with its fantasies and misconceptions. Lagos na wah!
Why is Lagos sooooo attractive? Apart from the economic vitality of the state, is it also because it makes your ears tingle, your body twitch, and your mouth ready to yap? From markets to molue, food joints to street fights, and from chaos to charming sceneries, Lagos is an enigma. As they say, “shine ya eyes when you are in Lagos!” One day, you want to go to Lagos, then you get there, and you want to get out! Like it or not, Lagos is irresistible but a city difficult to unravel.
So what are your little doses of Lagos? Snippets of experiences you cling to or struggle to erase, but alas they come back begging to be told, clinging, tugging at your heart. See Lagos through the lens of Noise, Kiosks, Jeans Thief, Just Run, and Aswani Market.
- Oyedele lives in Ontario, Canada. She can be reached by email precious@gmail.com
