Lagos apart from being the centre of excellence is also called ‘Ile Ogbon’ which translates to ‘Land of the wise’ in the context in which it is used. The primary reason for this is because it is believed that you have to be smart to be in Lagos. Over time, happenings have proved this theory to be true. For instance, you can go to Computer Village to buy a phone and go back home with fufu packed in a phone casing. That is just one of the things.
Today, we want to share the worst Lagos market experience of two people whose story has one thing in common.
Hauwa
My sister and I went to this Kotangora market from Oshodi. At the time, we were staying with my grandmother. While leaving the house, we had our phones and money with us.
It’s not like we were new to Lagos but we were used to being outside of Lagos that we really didn’t know how to deal with Lagos people. Ignorant of how Lagos could be, we kept our phones and money in our back pocket, and when we got to where we wanted to buy the clothes, started checking the clothes out, picked the ones we liked, and when it was time to pay, my sister looked in her pocket and the money was gone. It was like magic. A thought came to us to call our grandmom, and it was at that moment we realized our phones were gone too.
ALSO READ: Living in Ikorodu: 3 people share their real-life experiences
We both couldn’t find the money and our phones. It wasn’t funny.
We begged the clothe seller to let us use her phone but she looked at us funny and sent us away. Fast forward, we walked to the entrance of the market and stood there looking like strays, begging people to let us use their phone to call our grandmom but they were all just walking by.
Thankfully, we saw a man that allowed us to use his phone, allowed for our people to transfer money to him, and he helped us withdraw it, demanded we also give him something out of the money. It was a terrible experience. Hunger almost killed me.
Omotoyosi
My worst Lagos market experience was when I went to buy some items at Idumota.
I got everything I went to buy and was heading back home as I thought everything was going well. I was pressing my phone on the bus from Idumota to Oyingbo. Everything was going quite alright, at least from Idumota to Oyingbo.
As I boarded the bus going to Sabo and just when I was about to pay the fare, I realized I couldn’t find my money and it occurred to me that I didn’t see my phone either and I just kept searching and searching and it was that moment, it dawned on me that Lagos has shown me pepper. I had kept my phone but couldn’t even say where exactly I kept it. I was confused.
I didn’t even come to the market for my sake and it just didn’t feel fair that I had to lose my phone and some cash.
I got down from the bus to try to find it but it was futile. I resorted to begging a bus conductor to let me board for free. Bad day, bad market experience.
Conclusion
If it is your first time in any Lagos market, it is advisable to go with someone who knows their way around the market. This is for several reasons, but being hassled and made to buy what you don’t intend to is one of them. Another reason is to avoid the gimmicks used by the people in the markets to take away your money, either knowingly or unknowingly.
Whichever way, stay sharp.
Lagos markets aren’t for the fainthearted