' È k ó ' Girl Diaries * Primera

I finally decided to do a mini documentation of my recent relocation to Lagos! The word 'EKO' from today's title might seem unfamiliar to you but in retrospect if you have ever lived with or met anyone from the 'Yoruba' tribe, its a word I promise you have heard a handful of times. EKO is the coined yoruba name for 'Lagos'. Although originally used by the Edo tribe to refer to the vast area that was the west of Nigeria, we are not about to take Nigerian history class maybe some other time. A few facts won't hurt; Lagos happens to be the smallest of the 36 states in Nigeria but the most populous of them hence why there is not enough breathing space for its residents. It is among the fastest growing states in the world and is a popular economic hub. It is your go to place for growth however gloomy it might seem at first if you are not used to the hustling life.

This post will be a 5 part series that’ll start off with the “why” I’ll try as much as I can to cover a bit of the lifestyle in most parts of the city I’ll visit in the next month. I can't promise to update this series every week because I have a bit of work to do but I will try to be as consistent as I can. So expect to have a "you've got mail" every fortnight or thereabout.

Here's why it had to be Lagos; even with the madness that's the city as you well know.

I have lived most of my life in the southern part of Nigeria: AkwaIbom precisely, I only moved away for a period to live and work in Enugu which is as eastern as its gotten for me. A far cry from my relatively easy and well organized city I winged it after struggling in the first few months of my stay because I’m a tubeworm of some sort (highly adaptable). The pandemic altered a lot of my plans for 2020 which made me stay at home with my family for the entire year. I had started looking to get a new job mid 2020 but with the pandemic raging it was a tough game of luck and downfall. I needed an extra source of income and the proximity to some services for my life plans. At the time, the country’s capital seemed like a nice idea but it wasn’t a sustainable feeling. Abuja just looks perfect and poised on the outside and I know people who live there never throw stones to avoid shattering the glass they’ve built around their precious city. I have family there but I don’t think I was even ready to put up with them. My best girl is in the middle of moving to a more permanent space of hers and I just couldn’t find the heart to trouble the poor girl. A girl needs her space huh!!

Call it serendipity or a fluke but I knew deep down it would eventually have to be Lagos even though I tried for the longest time to cozen out. First I needed a job- what better city to land a tech job or non-related one? Then came the proximity to diplomatic missions and Lagos came up under my Pros list again. When accommodation followed shortly after in the list I knew it was time to brave it, pack my stuff and head out the door. I deliberated for 4 whole months; when I come to think of it now I know I was just dawdling the whole time because everything was set and even my subconscious started to act out my move. Fast forward to December I was set to leave but it was the Christmas holidays and my dad was at work and wasn’t going to get out until sometime in January so there was another excuse to delay the move. A friend had had about enough of the postponements, he called me out on my nonchalant attitude and missing a ton of job interviews. About the interviews, I did some virtual ones and could never make it to the office physically when I was asked to come in because I wasn’t even in the city. My back broke around mid-December when my laptop gave up on me. It looked like another reason to postpone the plans because I needed to have a PC that was in perfect working condition to move. After waiting 3 whole weeks for eBay to deliver a part for the PC I had about had enough of the wait. I sent the PC back to where I bought it from and said the time has come. P.S I’ll drop a go fund me link at the end of this post because laptops are expensive and I’m going loco poco a poco. I eventually moved with just about enough to get started with for my new life although I might make it look like it was a little but I promise it was a lot crammed into 1 very large suitcase and a carry on the size of a mini-box. You can’t blame me yet in this life, in another life I’ll know how to pack light. I am quite certain that the fact alone that I always have to pay extra for my gear whenever I’m traveling anywhere will certainly be an incentive to coming back to life more compact. 

       You’ll ask how I’m faring next I’m sure. For the people who’ve lived here at some point pray tell how long did it take to know major routes going home or work? I am terrible at locations or figuring out routes but the lobotomy fantasy that I have suffered for years hindering my ability to remember places has been cured. In a week I realized I could navigate around most parts of the mainland well. The circus that’s the Island has never been a bother. For most parts of my visit here before this year I’ve always stayed on the Island. It could get tricky at times but nothing Taxify, Uber or the bike men can’t help you figure out. I’m having a mini setback with my no-soda year challenge since every part of Lagos has people hawking cold soda on the very hot afternoons. Not my fault but a girl needs some sugar. It gets better with the variety of food you can get for as much as you can afford. My tastebud already feels continental and exotic. 

This will be a rather abrupt end but think of it like a cliffhanger. These stories will be as short and precise as possible. After all its a small documentation of my new life and not a tell all. In the next part I’ll probably spill where these people here see this money because forget what that musician sang ‘Money dey Lagos’ Until the next time you get a mail bask in happiness and stay jiggy.

Your favorite È k ó girl   

Helen Dami