From Warri to Lagos; my Lagos story

I’ve only been in Lagos, fully, for four years now, but it feels like forever. The timing in Lagos is not the same as in other states in Nigeria. I can argue that you age faster here. Everything happens so fast.

Let me take you through my life journey in Lagos. It’s filled with traffic, parties, friends, jobs, tears, stress, and just vibes.

2017: Johnny just come

May 2017, I made the daring move to Lagos. Prior to this time, I had spent all my life in Warri. Yup, I’m a Warri girl. Kindly delete all the stereotypes that just popped into your head. It’s half baked.

I had just completed my NYSC program. Small girl with big dreams stuck in a city that only reminded her of all she doesn’t want to become. Leaving Warri wasn’t an easy decision, but I think I decided while I was in school. I wanted to be so much more than everything around me. And Warri didn’t hold that much potential to me. Emphasis on me, others have made it here.

So I left, to stay with my cousin in Lagos. She was the only family member I had in Lagos. Although she’s an amazing individual, I had a genuine fear of living with a family member. You know how it goes, the domestic expectations and the tendency to become an unpaid nanny. But I moved in with her anyway, not like I had a choice.

My cousin is as amazing as a kind person can be. My induction into the Lagos life was easy. I spent the first month indoors watching movies and frantically applying for jobs.

Lol, I will share my career story next. A mess to miracle story, that one.

2018: Johnny don know road

By 2018, I was on my third job, as I said, another story. I had made friends. My Lagos story is nothing without the amazing friends I made.

I met the two most amazing people in my third job as a graduate trainee; Seyi and Bolaji. Fun, intelligent, and smart girls. That’s when my Lagos life started.

Seyi can serve as a tour guide in Lagos. Babe knows everyone and everywhere. If you need to chill, party, learn or just exist, Seyi knows a spot.

Lagos comes with a lot of stress; you hustle to move, work, relax, and even date. Lol, maybe I should write about my relationship story as well. That one is full of frogs.

Anyway, with the need to find a relationship comes the need to hang out.

“Position yourself to be seen”

My friends were on a mission to find me a bae, so we partied a lot. In Warri, I was an indoor girl. I don’t even know places in Warri. But not in Lagos. We went where the fun was. I truly became myself. I always knew I wasn’t the antisocial girl I was in Warri but I wasn’t really interested in the environment so I never made an effort.

In 2018, I learned that I can be anything and everything; simultaneously. I can be social and decent, beautiful and smart, Christain and fun.

2019: Johnny wan fly

When I came to Lagos, I gave myself a timeline. The most important was when to move out and stay alone.

I never really understood the obsession with staying with someone until marriage. I’ve wanted to live alone for a long time. In school, I promised myself I’ll live alone for at least a year before I commit to someone.

Here comes the house hunting journey.

Hmmm, Lagos house agents are not typical people. The places they took me to in the name of a house cannot be explained. Let’s just say if you’re trying to get a house in Lagos, be ready to enter expensive holes. Some dark without windows, some floating in floods, and some ridiculously expensive. Not to mention the house owners who don’t want women because they believe a woman cannot afford to pay rent.

After months of trying, first with a friend, then alone, I eventually found a sane house I could afford. Or so I thought.

Three months in, on October 1, 2019, a public holiday I believe, a flood happened. Lol, my sane house became a flood. My house was covered in water; over the top of my toilet seat, up to the window frame. It was terrible. I lost my laptop, clothes and some properties I can’t even remember. I was rendered homeless.

I saw the signs, I won’t say I didn’t. Before this major flood, the compound had been experiencing some minor floods. But I already paid rent, I convinced myself I could ride the wave.

I was so devastated. After hours of crying and confusion, I decided, “share this, so people can see how much of a mess Lagos is”

So I recorded my house and posted it on Twitter.

I never expected what happened next.

I literally went viral. Blogs carried my story.

People started requesting my account number. I was crying when I received a 200k transfer from someone whom I don’t know. I immediately wiped my tears and called my friends.

“People are sending me money!!!”

By the end of the day, I had enough money to rent and furnish a better house. I was crowd-funded by Nigerians whom I don’t know. It was the most miraculous thing to happen to me.

Nigerians are kind. Take out the divide of religion, ethnicity, and gender and we can be decent people.

2020: COVID-19

The only thing I remember in 2020 was that a pandemic happened and I was completely alone for about three months. No friends, no colleagues, nothing. Just me and vacuum.

I like my space, I honestly can’t stand unwanted company and unnecessary noise, but the silence that came with COVID-19 was too loud.

It was a year of self-reflection.

Now I spend every day intentionally with the people and things I love. Because life is fleeting and people are precious.

2021: The year to make money, period!

Moving to Lagos was the most pivotal decision I made in my life. It’s been a rollercoaster ride that I will take again and again. But every ride must end.

I look forward to the next wheel I break.

Until then, live this life!

If you enjoyed reading this, you will like my career story; how I moved from pharmacology to marketing.