7 May 2012

Lagos, Nigeria

What is the 7th most populous country in the world, consisting roughly of 50% of Christians and 50% of Muslims? Answer: Nigeria, with more than 160 million people and close to 20 million in Lagos only.

I was there back in March as my team was organising the Google conference dubbed g|nigeria (http://goo.gl/NWIcH). The first thing that struck me upon landing was how green Lagos and its surroundings were (with as much total yearly rainfall as in London, although it's evened out across the year in London i.e. the sun rarely shines through!). A quick tour in Balogun market reminded me of Old Delhi, in particular the main street in Chandni Chowk leading to the Jama Masjid, the big mosque of Old Delhi: tangled wires, street selling (did you spot the "no street selling" sign on the fourth picture?!), bustling activity, and the mostly welcoming – if not surprised – looks of passer-bys and merchants.

Lagos, like many cities, in emerging nations, is a contrast between richness (yachts) and poverty (dwellings), between colour and darker realities that I wanted to highlight through this small selection of pictures taken with my mobile phone.