5 things to remember when living alone in Lagos for the first time

Sometimes in life, the demands of work and the need for independence has turned many of us into mini-flat dwellers and apartment settlers. Others times, we are forced to move to foreign lands for work or studies and find ourselves living alone.

The thought of living alone in a big metropolitan city like Lagos can be utterly daunting, especially if it is your first time. At first, you battle with such thoughts as “won’t it get really lonely?”, “will I cope?”  And the answer is sure, as with time you realize that are so many great things about living by yourself in Lagos.

While life alone in Lagos can be very rewarding, there are certain things you need to remember to ensure the days you spend turn out smoothly. 

The alarm clock is your best friend

The problem of traffic congestion in Lagos is no longer a secret nor something that can be ignored. The moment you have found a place to move into within the city, the first thing you need to buy is an alarm clock. Even if you are on a sabbatical and will stay indoors for the period you are in town, you still need an alarm clock to help you schedule the few movements you may need to make. That way you can remind yourself of rush hours and give yourself an early start to any destination.

A good relationship with your landlord saves you a lot of stress

Before you move into a new apartment in Lagos, ensure you have a clear deal with your landlord. Sign a contract that clearly states the amount you will be paying and when will you be doing so. Again try to  always fulfill your end of the contract, as that is the way to stay in your landlord’s good graces. No doubt some landlords that will just be terrible no matter what you do, however, while you do not have to make your landlord your best friend, keep your relationship positive, cheerful and fairly simple. Maintain this attitude is important as it becomes an incentive during times you need your landlord help to settle utility bills and other concerns.

Tipping your security guard is the best way to survive

The security guard often called ‘gateman’ or ‘maiguard’ plays an important role when it comes to living a good life if you are doing it solo in Lagos. They are very handy and the tip is usually an essential motivation for them. They can help you runs small errands like fetching water, buy fuel for you in times of fuel scarcity and even sort out problems in your apartment when you are not around. He also keeps you informed on what is going on in your environs. You however need to be careful, study the security guard and trust him before you start to rely on him.

Having a rigid budget and learning to improvise keeps you afloat

You need to have a firm budget. Put everything into consideration: from food to transportation and utility bills. Learn to cook rather than always buying food outside, it will help you cut costs. Also, learn to improvise rather than always purchasing new appliances. Again, try how to do things yourself rather than employing external help to get things done. YouTube has all the DIY instructions you need so use it instead. Ensure you remain strict with spending, otherwise you will severely cut into your budget, and cause bigger problems for yourself.

Secure windows and doors are essential

Before you move in, ensure the windows and doors are secure and possibly impenetrable. This is very important for your safety, especially if you are living in a notorious part of the city. While security guards are employed to make sure no suspicious individual enter without your permission, you need to be extra cautious as some unwelcome guests can be very innovative.

By Jovago team

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Vegetarian? Here’s how to survive a trip to Lagos

As a tourist destination, Lagos ticks all boxes when it comes to a great travel experience: lots of entertainment and attractions, scenic landscapes, impressive neighborhoods, and numerous transport options but one thing its is not known for is its vegan food culture.

The concept of “vegetarianism” is not very popular in Lagos, in spite of how metropolitan the city is. A majority of its people love meat and hardly acknowledge the existence of beets, radishes, lettuce and kale; except during special occassions when they include salad as a side dish. This however does not mean that all hope is lost for vegetarians who dare to visit the city. Meat may dominate menus around, but  we have basic tips on how a vegetarian can survive a trip to Lagos.

Rent an apartment

The best option for a vegetarian visiting Lagos is to rent an apartment rather than a hotel or inn. This affords you the flexibility to cook your own meals and takes away the worry of possibly consuming something that is not completely made from vegetables. It also takes away the stress of having to explain to the hotel kitchen staff the ingredients that should be included in your meal.

Be very clear about what you want

Not everyone will understand what you mean by vegetarian, so rather than simply asking if a restaurant offers a vegetarian menu, be specific about what you want to eat and what ingredients you are looking for. That way they do not just say ‘No’ to your order, when in fact they may have those options you actually are looking for. If there is nothing on the menu, make a request. Simply ask for a meal to be prepared with your favorite vegetable(s) instead of chicken or fish. This usually works with a la carte meals.

Seek out restaurants with vegetarian options

Vegetarian food is not hard to come by in Lagos; you just have to know where to look. Actually, from delis in large shopping malls like Park ‘n’ Shop and Shoprite, to proper restaurants, especially Indian and Chinese, there are plenty of places to get healthy vegetarian meals. There are also some cafés and bakeries that specialize in meatless dishes. You will find vegetarian sandwiches, quiches or other baked products that are way cheaper than whole-meat meals.

Stick to Local beverages

While visiting the city of Lagos, it would certainly be great to try local cuisines and delicacies; especially those available on the streets, however, aside from fruits and leafy vegetables, it will be safer to stick to beverages, as most times the local cuisines have meat and fish or the stock included as ingredients. With beverages however, you are safe as they are mostly made from roots and leafs.

By Jovago team

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How To Deal With Strong-Armed Robbery in Lagos Traffic

Lagos, Nigeria’s most beloved city, is famous for the level of traffic commuters in the city have to endure on a daily basis. While the traffic situation can be quite frustrating and tiresome, it is not the time wasted or energy exerted that terrifies these commuters. What they find most dreadful is the possibility of strong-armed robbery in traffic.

Most areas in Lagos, especially on the Island and Peninsula, are well guarded, however, there are key traffic areas where these robberies occur not just at nights, but in broad daylight,. These areas include Marina, CMS – Costain Bridge, Maryland end of Ikorodu road, Gbagada, Mile 2 – Oshodi bridge and Idumota – Eko bridge. These armed robbers target heavy traffic routes. Although traffic robbery is something  motorists or commuters would not want to contemplate, it is equally something they can easily get caught up in.

Stay Calm

This maybe seem very hard to do, but it is the only way to survive the situation. Some robbers accost their victims by gently tapping on their side window and revealing the butt of their gun, or whatever weapon they have, while others prefer to scare their victims by smashing their side window or windscreen with a hammer. Whatever the case, do not panic, or raise alarm. The numerous witnesses will not assist or give you any protection, neither will the security men on patrol. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you are still alive and will only have to lose a few possessions. Staying calm can reduce the chance of the offender becoming agitated and reduce the risk of violence.

Do not attack

Do not use your pepper spray or pocket knife. Do not attack the robber. Most of the robbers are not only armed, they operate in gangs and while you might have been initially accosted by one member of the gang, the others lurk around. Attacking the armed robber very rarely ends well.

Avoid direct eye contact 

No matter how low-class the robber may look or seem, behave deferentially. Avoid looking him directly in the eye as that might irritate him. Don’t stare either, as this would be perceived as threatening to the offender. Keep your eyes down and look at the chin of the offender and use your peripheral vision to obtain details. This is less threatening to the offender. Address him as ‘Sir’ or ‘oga’, whichever you find more comfortable. Most robbers have low self-esteem and a little bit of respect might calm them down or even deter them.

Cooperate 

Unless your car is bullet and hammer-proof, do not argue with the armed robber. Cooperate . Ensure you first inform the robber in clear terms that you are willing to cooperate, then respond quickly  to their demands to whatever instructions they give. Speak only if you need to answer the offender and always reply honestly. Do not try any form of heroics.

Speak clearly and with simple language

There is no gain in impressing an armed robber with good grammar. Do not try to confuse him with a foreign language, heavy/polished accent or big grammar. Respond in the simplest English you know. If you are fluent in pidgin or local dialect, whichever the robber starts communication with, continue with it. Trying to sound too polished might give them the notion that you have more than you are giving to them and that would aggravate them, and possibly encourage them inflict harm on you.Also, try not to add to much detail or say anything that is unnecessary as that could increase the pressure, cause a breakdown in confidence and lead to panic. Keep your answers short, precise and positive using simple words and phrases.

Take the robber seriously

While strong-armed robberies can also occur without a weapon- just the threat of physical violence or an actual beating followed by the demand for moneys, it is always important to assume the offender is armed. Whether you see the armed robber’s weapon or not,you can never be too sure. Be cautious, ensure you observe all his movements and listen to every word his utters. Do not underestimate his actions. Stay alert.

By Nkem 

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5 tips to get your mornings off to a great start in Lagos

While some people in Lagos have the natural gift of waking up full of energy and ready to face the day…there are some who need extra motivation and possibly pampering to accept the dawn of the new morning.

If you are within the city and you find yourself registered to the camp of the unlucky for whom mornings are not pleasant.

Start your morning the Night Before

Many times, you may find mornings chaotic because you have so much to do and little time to do them. To save yourself the added stress, try to prepare for the next day the night before. There are a lot of things you can remove completely from your morning to-do list by completing them before you go to bed. Picking out your outfit for the day, sorting your office lunch, even putting bags in the car that you know you need for work are simple tasks to complete the night before, that way all you have to do is brush your teeth, take a bath, put on clothes and shoes, and you are out the door. When you are organized, you are less stressed.

Set Up Your Favorite Song as Your Alarm Tone

Almost everyone in Lagos sets the alarm for the next day before they sleep. Most people believe that an annoying alarm tone is the best move if you want the alarm to actually wake you up, but this may be the reason your mornings have been unbearable.

Rather than set up the alarm with the one sound you dread, try setting it with one of your favorite song. Just ensure the song you pick for the alarm is something fast and loud; R&B or blues would just lull you back to sleep. Using your favourite song as alarm tone does not just give you a good mood swing first thing in the morning, waking up and dancing to the rhythms of that song can refresh you up. You will feel less lethargic and will be pumped with enough positivity to face the rest of the morning.

Add something positive to your morning routine

Mornings are unbearable not necessarily because we have an unsatisfying sleep or were forced to wake up before we were ready to,  they exist because we dread starting our day and dealing with intense commute in places like Lagos.

The thing is, mornings do not have to be all  gloomy.  Plan to do something pleasant and positive at the outset, something you can look forward to, it will make getting up and out of the house much more bearable. It could be something as simple  making a playlist specifically for your morning routine, allowing yourself one glass of early morning juice, watching a funny clip on your phone, listening to an audio novel or devouring the one chunk of carb you allow yourself per day. The moment you can do something fun and get your mind in a positive place, the rest of the morning will not seem like such a chore as your mood will be brightened.

Give yourself transition time

This sounds like a waste of time, but this actually has a solid impact on your entire day, not just morning. You need transition time between sleep and getting out the door. The moment you wake up, your brain literally starts to boot, so, you need to give it time to start up fully before bombarding it with new tasks for the day.

Wake up earlier, and get your blood pumping by doing some stretch or talking a walk round your apartment. Just five minutes of simple stretches can have a huge impact on you both physically and emotionally, throughout the day, it helps stimulate blood flow and kick-start circulation, a sure way to get yourself feeling more alert, faster. Also, taking the time to slowly move your muscles by walking can have beneficial effects on your heart, lungs, digestive system, and brain, and also brings a satisfying start to the day.

Take out 1 minute to just smile

Taking out 30 seconds to one minute to just smile is not weird. The act of smiling has a special way of making us happier. Taking out time to smile fills you with positive energy and keeps you optimistic for the rest of the morning and possibly day.  Smile at yourself in the mirror for the set time, either immediately you wake up morning routine or just before you head out the door. And if the effect wears out and you start to feel negative energy during the day, consider top-up smile session.

By Jovago team

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Festival of India set to hold in Lagos come August

The festival is a collaboration between International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the India Disapora in Lagos and is designed to bridge the cultural gap between India and Nigeria.

Come August 13, 2016, Lagos will play host to a rich display of Indian culture as the Festival of India holds at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.

The festival is a collaboration between International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the India Disapora in Lagos and is designed to bridge the cultural gap between India and Nigeria.

Speaking at a briefing over the weekend to announce the festival,  CEO of Gaurapad Charities and chairman organising committee, Bolaji Rosoji explained the origin of Festival of India, and its interwoven relationship with Krishna religion.

He also said the goal of the festival is to "celebrate cultural unity and diversity for national and global peace – vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family). The Festival of India, with the Ratha Yatra (chariot) Festival as its central spectacle, has an inestimable impact on the minds and hearts of literally countless casual visitors and active participants in major cities worldwide. The Ratha Yatra (chariot) Festival originated in the holy city of Puri, India, and has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is a grand culmination of a series of celebrations spread over the summer and the monsoon month and is the most splendid of them all."

According to Rosiji,  the festival would be an international one with dignitaries coming from all over the world while efforts were in place to get President Muhammad Buhari to attend.

He also revealed that his organisation is collaborating with Lagos State, through its Ministry of Culture and Inter-Governmental Affairs, for a successful festival.

Highlights of the festival will include procession display of various Indian costumes, dressing and dance groups representing different states in India.

In addition, the Festival of India will host internationally renowned traditional and contemporary musicians, dancers and dramatic artists from India and Nigeria.

Attendees can also expect things like sumptuous, vegetarian feast, transcendental art and bestselling books on yoga and meditation.

http://pulse.ng/arts_culture/bolaji-rosiji-festival-of-india-set-to-hold-in-lagos-come-august-id4681181.html 

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Discover Lighthouse Beach, Lagos

If you plan on visiting Lagos State Nigeria and you also have it in mind to have a day out on the beach, then you have the answer; Lighthouse Beach is the place to be. One very good thing about this beach is what I call the ripple effect; using a stone to kill several birds as there are a number of side attractions on visiting this beautiful beach in Lagos.

 

The historical beach was named after Lighthouse Building. The lighthouse was built at the entrance of Lagos harbor. It emits light from a system of lamps and lenses; it is used as a navigation aid for marine pilots at sea or inland building and functions mainly as an entrance maker. Due to high maintenance cost and advancement in technology, many Lighthouses around the world are no longer in existence, fortunately the Lighthouse building in Lagos Nigeria which is over one hundred and ten thousand years old is still standing erect and shinning.

Situated at the main shore of the Atlantic Ocean around Apapa Wharf, it’s popularly called the Shipwreck because of the large numbers of ship that park on the sea and this makes it distinct from every other beach in Lagos State. As a result of its isolation from other part of the Island, the only access to the beach is by water. Visitors can take boat to the beach from Maroko or at Falomo under-bridge. Boat ride to the beach is bound to be fun on its own as tourists can have an experience of Lagos’ waterway and its views.

Further down the Lighthouse beach is the Tarkwa Bay beach which was created during the formation of the Lagos harbor. Tarkwa Bay beach is more like the congested version of the Lighthouse Beach. For visitors that would like to sit down, enjoy the beautiful scenery and have a feel of the natural breeze at the beach, there are deck chairs and tents for rent.

Not far from Lighthouse Beach is also the Tarzan Jetty, it’s an open bar that opens for 17hrs on every day of the week. It’s a place you would not want to miss on your visit to Lighthouse beach. Just take a Tarzan boat from the Lighthouse beach to Tarzan Jetty. At Tarzan Jetty, you have the best of local and international meals, you will enjoy every bit of time spent and the party does not end there.

At Lighthouse beach, you can buy beautiful beads, paintings, woodcarvings and several other handiworks from locals that hawks.

For security reasons, there is curfew that restricts all boat movement on the water between the hours of 6am and 6pm, the last boat leaves the beach 5pm daily, visitors and tourists are advised to go early so they can have so much fun before departure time.

By Jovago team

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Nigeria: Sun City - Splendour, Magnificence in Heart of Semi-Desert

By Abbas Jimoh

South Africa — For me the first step of the over 4, 493 kilometres (2, 792 miles) flight from Abuja to Johannesburg, South Africa, started with the formal announcement of the South African Airways (SAA) Abuja-Johannesburg direct flight on November 17, 2015, in Abuja. The airline said the inaugural flight was part of measures to boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa.

Regional General Manager - Africa and Middle East, Aaron Munetsi and the Country Manager - Nigeria, Thobi Duma told Daily Trust that it has always been the dream of SAA to ensure expanded air travel in the continent since it began operations in Nigeria in 1998 in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.

Ambassador Lulu Louis Mnguni, the South Africa High Commissioner to Nigeria, during the formal launch, said the flight would, among other things, engender the tourism relationship between Nigeria and his country, adding that more Nigerians were expected to visit South Africa and vice versa.

"We are happy to witness and to deepen Africa Agenda. We can have another Krouga Park in Bauchi State through tourism exchange," Mnguni said. "This will also assist the youths of the two countries to collaborate with each other and generate more employment opportunities that can also be used to stem the insurgency in the North-east."

The Abuja-Johannesburg direct maiden flight on January 27, 2016, had 120 passengers, including leading 19 travel and tour agents mostly based in Abuja and parts of the north. Being the only journalist on the trip, I saw the trip as a combination of work, fun and learning, with Mohammed Abdullahi of Topcomm working round the clock to get things done.

The Airbus 330-200, after formal ceremony and formalities, departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 10:18 am for the five-hour and 34 minutes flight. It arrived at the Oliver Tambo International Airport at around 15:52 GMT (4:52 pm Nigerian time).

The 'Abuja Team' was led by Elidoni Okpeta of the SAA, and Mohammed Tanko Kwajafa, the Trade Relations Manager of the South African Tourism. We were received on arrival by the duo of Jennifer Beattle the Sales Manager Africa of Sun International and Zalia Hendricks, a key Account Manager of Legend Tours. The two organisations partnered the SAA on accommodation, transportation and other logistics to ensure the success of the trip. Bheki George, our tour guide, worked with Kwajafa and Doni to make the trip worthwhile.

Bheki told us that the history of Johannesburg extends back thousands of years when it was inhabited by migrants from Nigeria and Cameroon before it was formally 'opened' in 1886 with the discovery of gold and the Witwatersrand reef.

He said the city, comprising 12.5 million people, is proud to have 23 young millionaires that contribute 40 percent of South Africa's GDP.

Wednesday night was spent at the luxurious Maslow Hotel in Sandton, an up-market area north of Johannesburg, a 20 minute-drive from the airport. Thursday saw the Abuja team touring Johannesburg. We passed through the house of the legendary Nelson Mandela, but, unfortunately, we couldn't enter because we were not billed to visit the house.

Talking about the country's gold, which is seen as the South African oil, Bheki said the importance of preserving the value of the natural resource made it to be seen as unwise any attempt to subsidise the price of the commodity. "We cannot afford to lose high value of our precious gold in the name of making it affordable for our people," he explained.

Palace of the Lost City Hotel

The Palace of the Lost City Hotel is one of the most highly rated five star hotels in the world. The hotel, which was inspired by the myth of a lost African kingdom, is set on the highest ground in Sun City, ensuring that its grand proportions and graceful towers are visible from across the resort.

Lost cities generally fall into two broad categories: those where no knowledge of the city existed until the time of their rediscovery, and those whose locations have been lost, but knowledge of their existence has been retained in myths, legends, or historical records. The Palace of the Lost City Hotel seems to have combined both attributes.

Opened in 1992, the hotel invokes the memory of an ancient legend that existed during the time when the rulers of the Lost City of Kalahari reigned supreme throughout the region. The site has welcomed numerous celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Elton John, Jean-Michel Jarre and Frank Sinatra who had come to test their ability on the golf course designed by Gary Player.

Jennifer said the hotel boasts of five stars of socialising, palatial, luxury, near nature reserve, cultural activities, valley of waves, business, bar, golf course, gardens, night club, swimming pool, beach, restaurant and spa among others. This magnificent hotel sprang from the imagination of the creative South African multi-millionaire, Sol Kerzner.

Opened in 1978, Sun City itself is a legendary resort in the heart of a semi-desert-like region, standing out for its splendour, its magnificence and its unbounded luxury. Built over a period of 10 years, Kerzner ensured the inclusion of four hotels, a man-made lake, two Gary Player designed championship golf courses and entertainment centre with an indoor 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in which he presented many superstars, including Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Shirley Bassey and also serves as the venue of many world title fights promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank Organisation.

"I always believed in Sun City. I brought gambling here, big stars and I organised concerts with Jean-Michel Jarre. That's where I would meet my friends, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and Shirley Bassey," Kerzner said.

In 2001, Nigerian Agbani Darego became the first black woman to receive the Miss World award. She was officially crowned in the Sun City Super bowl.

One of my memorable moments was riding the lost city's water fall in a floater. Being lost for few seconds, that seemed like minutes in the dark tunnel and fear of being thrown down the cliff at over 60km/hour is better left to the imagination.

The Zulu Love Letter

It was Elidoni Okpeta that presented 'The Zulu Love Letter' to female members of the team but graciously offered me one. Zulu love-tokens (Incwadi) are woven in beads and sent to lovers as a means of communication. Each colour or combination of colours has specific meanings. Many of these have changed over the years, but the basic and commonly used, according to the one given to me, are: White - purity, vision, true love; Red - strong emotion, intense love; Blue - faithfulness, loneliness; Green - contentment, bliss; Yellow - wealth, jealousy; Pink - adds emphasis to a promise, poverty; Black - marriage, anger, hurt, jealousy, and, Brown represents love.

While there was no rand and naira to be made or spent, the experience of the trip was worth millions in any good currency.

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Nigeria: 'Lagos Tourism Will Be Entertainment-Driven

Interview By Anote Ajeluorou

Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Folorunso Folarin Coker, has plans to improve tourism in the state through active promotion of all forms of entertainment and the arts. The One Lagos Fiesta held last December sets the tone Coker's tourism vision will take to stimulate tourism and create jobs. He spoke with ANOTE AJELUOROU

What are your plans to stimulate culture and tourism practice in Lagos?

We have just started a New Year after a few months of a new administration in Lagos. I think what happened from December 27 through 31, 2015 in One Lagos Fiesta crossover has set a standard that we are going to implement in Lagos State. It is the experiment for tourism. For example, during that period what we did was that we used entertainment as a tool to provide tourism. So instead of having one crossover count down event at Bar Beach, we had to decentralise it to different locations.

We have just started a New Year after a few months of a new administration in Lagos. I think what happened from December 27 through 31, 2015 in One Lagos Fiesta crossover has set a standard that we are going to implement in Lagos State. It is the experiment for tourism. For example, during that period what we did was that we used entertainment as a tool to provide tourism. So instead of having one crossover count down event at Bar Beach, we had to decentralise it to different locations.

So, instead of one location, we now had it in Badagry, Ikorodu, Ekpe, Agege and Bar Beach. We took it to the community, which is a small group of people that normally would have to travel to Bar Beach to watch the crossover fireworks. We took it to them. We also transferred the values that we always focused on in Bar Beach; we decentralised them to those localities.

The suya makers made money, the hotels in Ikorodu, Agege, Ekpe and Badagry and bar Beach were filled to capacity because. For example, in Badagry, people moved from the Republic of Benin and from Festac Town to Badagry to watch all those great artistes. I think that sets the tone of change but with the understanding that it is continuous, that there will be continuity. We keep doing the same thing the previous administration did. But we are just doing it in a different way and it is that change that will bring continuity for our tourism.

There is a lot of tourism in Lagos but people do not define it as tourism. People come from all over West Africa to buy goods in Lagos. That is economic tourism. It is equivalent for us saying, 'where am I going to be buying goods to bring to Lagos?' The buying power of Lagos cannot be disregarded. They buy in volume and people come to pick it up.

There is religious tourism in Lagos as well. Look at the biggest churches in Africa. They are here. So their Mecca is here where people come for pilgrimages. Look at The Experience that occurs at the Tafawa Balewa Square every year. Do you know how many people come from far away each year? That is another form of religious tourism. There is medical tourism. If you can afford it and you are critically ill anywhere in Nigeria, where would you go? If you have a friend coming over from America, where would you invite them to out of all the places you want to showcase? Lagos!

How do you synchronise these collective into net profit-making both for government and the people?

Now, what are our plans? We have to do a lot of research to find things out: What do we have? Where is it? What condition is it? How is it working? Who controls it? What is the revenue? What is the importance of that specific thing to the general future of our entertainment economy?

Our plan for tourism is going to be entertainment. With entertainment as we proved in the last five days of 2015, people within Lagos moved from one location to another location to consume entertainment. What of transportation, the revenue generated? Why did they move from one location to another because of entertainment? They went to consume the entertainment of Davido, D'Banj, Don Jazzy and others performing on stage in a place they would not normally have performed.

For us to get the artistes and for the people to go there, we had to create befitting platforms in those areas. We have the stage, lighting, sound, security, and barricade. People were employed to do these. Entertainment as a tool can drive tourism in an economy. It got to a point at Bar Beach that I had to order another big screen to be put on the stage because of the volume of people so that those at the back could see what was going on without pushing their way to the front. They had to bring the screen from Aba, Abia State, because we had consumed all the big screens in Lagos.

Research is being developed and it would allow us to plan certain things. By planning, I am talking about looking at the different communities, what their cultures are, and the art that comes out of their culture and how we are going to showcase those cultures. Showcasing that culture means introducing a platform for it and we have to document it in such a manner that you can now place it on your website which is the window through which everybody around the world can see Nigeria.

So, you can sit down in Alaska and see it. It is from the quality image that is online that will encourage people to overcome the negative image Nigeria has. Then also people can get up from Atlanta or wherever and say 'let me go and try this thing in Lagos, Nigeria.' It's what will make them conclude that this place is not so bad.

Will One Lagos Fiesta be a yearly event? Also, only singers were showcased. What about other sectors of the arts and entertainment?

First of all, there is a gallery we put all the pictures of what transpired in all five locations online. We asked all the different ethnic groupings (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and other groups) what aspects of their arts and culture they wanted to showcase in the five locations. So, it was the same stage that the mega superstars performed with light and microphone that I put the native and traditional dancers on. So there was culture, there was theatre.

We had Lagos State Arts Council theatre group. They put together a play and the theme of the play was 'We cannot just sit back and expect change.' If we want change, we must change ourselves. It was a production that was meant for both children and adults and we ran that through all five locations one day at a time. It was really delightful in Ikorodu and Ekpe as the little children demanded that they too wanted to go on stage and sing. There were beautiful photographs of children on a massive stage dancing. We did not have enough time to cover some groupings.

For example, I would have liked it if Nollywood was represented on this platform and I hope next year Nollywood would be strongly represented. I would have liked to see indigenous contemporary musicians like Kwame I, Salawa Abeni and Adewale Ayuba. I would have liked to see them playing non-stop for five hours and I know that someone like Kwame I does it.

In January, we launched Apapa Amusement Park; in February we had the Lagos Marathon; in March we have Surulere or Alimosho Day. We have also asked the local governments to give us one day a year to celebrate them.

So, if you come to Lagos for a business meeting on Wednesday you do not have to run away on Friday because it probably coincides with the Island Day and you can go and have a very good time.

Let me tell you something about One Lagos Fiesta. It was a continuation of the Countdown. It was sponsored by corporate organisations. I do not have a budget for festivals. It is a sponsorship deal. We get funds from big corporate organizations - telecommunications, oil and gas, banking, food and beverage. There are companies that come and say we want to sponsor. If you go online, you will see them. They also get a lot of benefits from it in terms of exposure. We have partnered with quite a few of those corporate citizens and now I must speak directly to them. I am looking for partners for the next show. I am looking to shake hands with partners for the development of entertainment economy in Lagos.

The Minister for Information and Culture has set aside N500 million for the 36 states to come up with 10 festivals each and the FCT five. What festivals will you present for Lagos?

I have written to him about my 10 festivals and I am waiting for him to approve and fund the 10 festivals and that takes care of 10 out of 20 local governments. These include the food and beverage festivals, fashion festival, jazz festival, Afro-beat festival and festival of drums. That is the one that actually excites me the most - the drum festival. I want to call all the kings' drummers from the different regions of Lagos from the palaces for the festival of drums. We speak to the drums. We appreciate the drums and I think it is something that is falling by the way side and that is what we are going to major on. Somebody suggested the jollof rice festival.

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