Lagos And Abuja: A Tale Of Two Cities

Zayyad I. Muhammad

Lagos and Abuja are two faces of Nigeria, and perhaps the pride of many Nigerians. The two cities have similarities and differences in virtually everything in them. Lagos can be liken to a beauty Queen, dressed in a glittery-white-satin, standing beside a street, smiling and waving to passersby, but when she speaks, her mouth smells, she has body odor, she is arrogant and materialistic. Abuja on the other hand, can be liken to a beautiful Princess, dressed in a fabulous chocolate-lace, having sexy curves and hot legs, but she is a bimbo. When she speaks, her voice is thunderous, and a handshake with her; is like a grip of a female Gorilla’s hands, her hands are as strong as irons.

Come to Abuja and see the affluent life style of Nigerian political leaders and their broods, while in Lagos, you can see the day-to-day struggles of an average Nigerian. However, the standard of living is higher in Lagos than in the rest of Nigeria. Life in Lagos is exciting and at the same time boring. Lagos caters for everyone- the poor, the middle-class and the rich- there are openings for one to make a living out of something in Lagos- with N20, one can buy a plate of rice in Lagos, board a Molue at rate of N10 for a long-distance ride, or go for a ‘free ride’ by hanging at the back of Danfo. In Lagos, only the lazy and greedy people choose to become thieves! However, ‘Lagos-life’ is something in a class of its own, staying or living in Lagos is as going ‘through the mills’ of life- Lagos residents are always in rush, and in a kind of state of perpetual fear; anything is possible on Lagos streets. In Abuja, there is no rush, but life is only exciting when one has money- lots of it! An average Lagos resident has a little ‘hip hop’ in him or her, while their Abuja counterparts have little ‘fakeness’ in them – in Abuja, most people pretend to be ‘big-man’.

Lagos roads are narrow, overcrowded, and littered with streets-traders and beggars of all sorts, these, coupled with motorists impatient and indiscipline, and, abandoned vehicles make Lagos streets prone to traffic-jam. Do you want to see ‘human traffic-jam’? Come to Orile, Ijora, Oshodi, Ajakunle or Agege, all in Lagos, there, walking in street is a Herculean task, as pedestrians struggle for space to lay their legs. Abuja roads are wide and mostly decorated with fine flowers and palm trees, and to a reasonable degree, free of streets-traders and beggars, but Abuja roads are notorious for ghastly accidents and corrupt VIOs and policemen. Abuja VIOs are mainly concern with private vehicles, they can inquire anything from vehicle roadworthiness certificate to vehicle Custom Duty Particulars, while Lagos VIOs and LASTMA officials are mainly concern with commercial vehicles. When you are in Abuja, and you noticed four to five policemen hanging beside a coded traffic light, be very cautious, the traffic light is for sure faulty; the policemen are there to arrest you for ‘beating’ traffic light, prominent areas of their operations are, Area 8 junction, millennium park/federal secretariat junction and Wuse market. In Lagos, apart from police extortion, Agbero boys or Alaye boys (Area Boys) have constituted themselves as ‘fourth tier’ of government, by extorting money from public. At Broad Street, Marina and Kakawa i.e. equivalent of Abuja’s Central Business District, Area Boys are having field days extorting money from motorists and traders; when you parked your car- you pay, and when you bought goods of reasonable quantity, to be on safer side- you must give ‘money for the boys’

Transportation system in Abuja and Lagos are two pole-apart matters, Abuja bus-fare is higher compared to that of Lagos, but taxi-fare is far lower than that of Lagos. Though, Lagos taxis are more organized and reliable, in the sense that, almost all taxis in Lagos are painted with the golden-yellow paint, almost all Lagos taxi drivers are responsible elderly men; but in Abuja, private cars ‘kabu kabu’ control greater percentage of taxi business, the Abuja-green-cab and London taxi are few and very expensive. Abuja ‘kabu kabu’ drivers are mostly young men; if one is not careful, you can fall into the hands of criminals masquerading as taxi drivers.

One cannot talk about Lagos, without a critical look at the 1947 Volkswagen Van- the golden-yellow Danfo or the popular Molue. Danfo and Molue are interesting part of ‘Lagos-experience’. Danfo are in most cases not roadworthy and rickety; while those that flight Ijora, Orile and Ajakunle Routes, are what Papa Ajasco called jalopy. Molue are simply rattletrap, however, with N10 i.e. Soludo’s one kobo, Molue can take you a far as from Ikeja to Oshodi or from Apapa to CMS up to Obalande. Not having experienced a ride on a Molue or a Danfo, one has not got the Lagos experience! All passengers have to pay before a Molue or a Danfo begins its journey; if it breakdown on the way, you are on your own. The moment, Molue or Danfo begins its journey- more than half of the passengers will start shouting- ‘coonnduucctooor’ give me my change; Lagos conductors are experts in cheating commuters. One interesting thing is- you hardly see a Molue or a Danfo without an interesting inscription in it- from ‘ALL ON ME’ to ‘GOD IS ON CONTROL’. To commute from one place to another by Lagos BRT buses is enjoyable; however, the buses are competing with Okada on BRT lanes- it appears most Okada riders expelled from Abuja have found havens in Lagos. Beggars of all kinds are everywhere on Lagos Streets, while Abuja beggars besiege the city on Fridays- their destinations- National Mosque, and Area 11 Mosque. Come to Lagos and cry for Northern Nigerian, more than ninety percent of Lagos beggars are of northern Nigeria extraction, one annoying thing is, half of these beggars are not ‘qualified’ to be beggars; they are hale and hearty. A new group of beggars have emerged in Abuja. They are what one will called street light beggars; they are mostly men from Southern Nigeria who are in their late 50s, these beggars hang beside a street light, begging money from motorists, but not any motorists! They do select, their targets are occupants of expensive cars.

Apart from its few suburbs, most residential houses in Lagos play duals purposes - they are residential as well as commercial. Lagos house owners find it irresistible in adding extra structures to their buildings. While Abuja landlords are notorious to unnecessary increase in house rents. Lagos house-rent is far cheaper than that of Abuja. Real estate development and shopping plazas are big money spinners in Abuja. Lagos is a good ground to see how Nigeria has become a dumping-ground for substandard goods from Asia- from razor blades made in Indonesia to Nigerian flag made in China.

These two cities, Abuja and Lagos have many things connecting them, as well as lots separating them. Lagos has the slogan ‘center of excellence’ while Abuja ‘center of unity’. But, both cities are shadows of their slogans. With its huge insecurity, frustrating traffic-jams, inefficient of waste removal and sewage systems, poor water portability, limping transportation and public services, Lagos is indeed Eko- ‘war camp’. While her sister Abuja, with her expensive cost of living, her inequalities between the ‘have’ and the ‘have not’, her policy of ‘indigene’ and ‘settlers’, Abuja is in reality ‘center for the few’.

I am taking-off to my home State, Adamawa, 10th most poverty-riddled state in Nigeria, Wishing Lagosians and Abuja residents a happy 47^th independence anniversary.

Zayyad I. Muhammad Wrote from Jimeta, Adamawa state.

zaymohd@yahoo.com