Ogun state Archives - Lagos Laif

Lagos Story is a weekly series that features a quick story of an individual who lives in Lagos, detailing why they came to Lagos, how the struggle has been, and their reservations about Lagos life. This week, we speak to Wole, who came to Lagos with hopes of breaking into the labor market. We discuss coming to Lagos, how that transitioning has been for him, and how he is coping with the Lagos life. Note: This was edited to fit the tone and style of Lagos Laif. What made you come to Lagos? Arriving in the city of Lagos about two to three years ago didn't take much consideration from me. I wasn't far away from the city before I came in for the first time ever. I resided in Ogun State. Because of the close proximity in distance, I knew and witnessed a lot of people who shuffled the two states, so I was already familiar with a few things from the city of Lagos. I communicated with a few people who were frequent visitors of the city, and the prevalent reason(s) why they would go there was either because of money or business activities. ALSO READ: “Coming to Lagos opened my eyes” – A Lagos story Being the young, fresh graduate that I was, I thought coming to Lagos would prove pivotal in my attempt to break into the Labor market and earn a decent living for myself. What was the first mistake you made while you arrived? Well, I've barely spent four years here in Lagos and my experience has been nothing short of good (at least, so far). Although, it has been challenging; my time here, I wouldn't say I've made any major mistakes. Apart from the fact that I came half-cocked (happens to the best of us anyway), my moving here has been more advantageous than I thought. My development as a person in many areas has sky-rocketed. Even though I reside on the mainland presently, I can confidently say it's a huge upgrade; as regards the rurality of my previous environment (back in Ilishan, Ogun). Now to be clear, there are a couple of things that have not been really exciting; such as the sporadic traffic congestion, the fast-paced lifestyle, and every other unusual thing that makes Lagos Lagos. Do you think coming to Lagos was a wise decision? Speaking of decisions, I might not be able to boast of too many, personally, but one thing is for sure; reflecting on the past few years and how things are at the moment, coming to Lagos has proved to be an incredibly smart decision. How often do you go back home? Not like I'm proud to say, but I've only visited home about three times. Probably five at maximum. There's not much to return home for, other than growing up there. I've only made it traditional to visit on festive periods or when the need arises, hence the little frequency. Final takeaway Conclusively, Lagos life is a good life. Although, some people might beg to differ, which is understandable, as everything narrows to personal preferences and convenience. It still doesn't change the reality that Lagos State is one of, if not the best state in the country. Generally speaking, if you're planning on coming to Lagos, whether short-term or long-term, old or young, wherever you might be residing initially, whatever the parameters might be, from my personal experience, I would say it's important to be sure of your decision, and more preferably, talk to a couple of trusted people who might be familiar with the environment. You can never be too prepared to move to the city of Lagos, so it's best to do your best, trust your instincts, and just hope to thrive.

Lagos Laif

Tag: Ogun state

“You can never be too prepared” – Settling into the Lagos life

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