I have this folder of very random pictures I take on the streets, that are not necessarily themed, and are not the best composed. Not sure how you guys north of the equator do it, but in the Nigerian cities I have lived in and visited, there is always an area boy that will harass you for pointing a camera at people, and they will demand you settle them. So the discreet nature of the gopro comes in handy. Add that it is pretty wide and usually takes more than I need so I can crop later and still retain good resolution.
So in cropping and reframing, I decided to find a theme for these series of photos. What was it? I would think it is movement. "Transportation" would sound a bit mundane, but it's more or less what I mean here. 😜
So what about movement? From primitive to modern man, there has and will always be need to move. In search for food, for the purpose of consummation ("Berger to Ajah" for instance. Hahaha. Just google that phrase and thank me later), to satisfy the craving for adventure. Man has to move. And these means of movement has evolved for many centuries.
Lol. I give up trying to sound intelligent.
I just want to share a few pictures of transportation in Lagos, and offer a few footnotes where I can. Without further ado...
Walking always works. It's the cheapest, albeit most inefficient. And in some cities like Lagos, it is risky, because where there are dedicated pedestrian walkways, hawkers and street sellers would turn it to business premises, leaving pedestrians to share roads with onrushing cars.
Obviously the most popular in Lagos. Danfo. How do you define a danfo? Take a 1975 rickety bus from Germany and have a pair of lunatics drive and conduct it. The latter must have a high pitch voice and can shout at +6 million decibels, beckoning passengers ten miles away to come and board. One who can hang out the door with the car flying at 60mph, and who will serve as the driver's missing right hand side mirror and turn indicator. These guys are the real deal. Must know how to swear in Yoruba. He's the driver's wing man and side kick.
Now have that crew drive a pack of literate, semi-literate, peacefully demeanored (I used that word before anyone), and the pigs of society. In other words, this is the no-pass, no-class mean of moving around in Africa's largest city. It's not for the faint of heart.
When you get inside this bus, look for a row of seat with slender to slim people. There will be four of you on a row of hard bench made from wood or scrap metal. Sitting with fat people won't do much good to your comfort. The seats are just clean enough to not stain your cloth, but I can't guarantee some part of the car won't hook a loose end and tear it. Just be careful what you touch. Everything inside the bus is a blade. There are no cushions. Ask me questions if you don't understand any of those.
The next one is relatively a new kid on the block. With the advent of car ride sharing, someone thought to start a bike sharing company, fusing the newest trend with a mean of transportation that was gradually phasing out. Uber tech + okada tech and you have Gokada. I've not used it. I won't use it. I don't know what to tell you. I'll definitely not sit on a bike on a highway in Lagos.
This is the bus conductor referred to above. It's a tough job, you'll agree.
Then good ole cab. Overpriced shit slowly driven out of business by ride sharing multinationals like Uber, Taxify, Gokada etc.
The last but not the least, the very premium alternative of being tied to your mom's back and going where she thinks you should go. This is a very African way of carrying babies. It's really common among the Yorubas I get tempted to think they invented the practice. In Annang we call it something like wobbo. Pardon me that the main subject of the photo is almost out of the frame. Like I started, I didn't really set out to make a tight composition when I took these photos.
Hey! Like that my post came to an end. I hope you enjoyed the little photo documentary.
Thinking out loud: I should make this a comedy openmic. Yes! Adding tags. @thatdamiguy and @dante31, take up the baton 😝
Till next time...
I can't count the number of pants I've lost to the danfo. Some thing hooks it and gets them same with my shirts and not to talk about being in a danfo when it rains. Bad news.
So I see you took pictures around Maryland and Ikeja. Nice one man.
I should take up this #comedyopenmic challenge you know
Ah yeah, the wonders of street photography. It needs some balls to do it. I didn't know you have them :P
That is your shadow on the lower left corner, right? Sneaky xD
Awesome photos by the way! Nice composition and post-processing :D
You had to insult my balls 😂 Balls so enormous you could spot them in my shadow! Hidden, respect these balls 😎
Hahaha. That's your head. Not your balls :D
There she goes... speculating again 😂
Hi misterakpan,
Thank you for your entry in to #comedyopenmic comedy contest. We have asked the judges below to review your entry and give it a funny rating. (They generally have no sense of humor, as the saying goes, those that can't do, start contests and judge).
This will determine your ultimate position when the results are tallied. (That being said, you are free to adopt any position you wish - we can recommend pantsless with beer in hand.)
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Thank you to @matytan for the great banner
Hmmm... That Gokada is really similar to the biggest ride-sharing service in Indonesia: Gojek. The green color and the G logo. Just wait until it become a really big company, it will bend it's business not only in transportation...
(Gojek is just like WeChat for many Indonesian, its one stop apps for many needs, very very greedy business 😂)
Hahaha. Good to know that. Aren't companies always greedy? Lol.
Its a whole another level of greediness. More greedy than Indomie. Lol.
If they’re adopting the same business model as Gojek, then, maybe Gokada will go to Nollywood too, which is good for filmmakers. Mo money = mo cool movie productions. 😍
Love the danfo! Add a little discomfort to your journey with a side of danger. Lol
Awesome! Nice way to use a GoPro. I like how it seems to observe all these people and situations in an almost secret / fly-on-the-wall kind of way. The colors are awesome! I especially like all the yellow. Man, what a contrast this forms with the life that I'm living these days, haha! I can't imagine how I would feel in a city like Lagos, let alone its traffic.
Greetings from an indie filmmaker in a tiny town in Portugal, who loves to walk and hike around with his GoPro at the ready.
P.S. You forgot to describe the shoe car ;>)
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ha ha the description of the Danfo made me laugh. I traveled in similar in mexico and the locals kept looking at me angrily like I should pull out my massive wad of cash and fuck off to get the tourist bus. What they didn't know, or care to know, was that I had bollocks all money and was slumming it all round the place 😅 Or more likely they were just pissed off at this pasty dude clutching his giant backpack between his legs like everyone around him was gonna rob him lol.
I did get chatted up by a middle aged lady on one of those buses though who said she wanted to practice her English.
I like the description of the practice of wobbo, their is a trend in the UK for middle class fathers to carry their babies around in a sling attached to their front. Ha ha, see the world is getting smaller and everyone is appropriating each others crazy ways 😉 It's a good thing... I think.
Great post mate
Greetings, @misterkpan. Great tour through Lagos. We share similar issues here in Venezuela. As you say, it's not for the faint of heart.
Keep documenting. It's a valuable thing you're doing.
PS. I did google "Berger to Ajah", had not heard of it. Interesting. Lots of that going on these days. Not all guys can get away from it that easily.
Are you from Nigeria? My former boss is from Ghana and I have worked with people from Kenya, Angola, Ivory Coast and Tanzania and all of them refer to Nigeria as the craziest country in the world :D