Addressing preconceptions on Lagos
Traffic, power outages and insecurity are probably what comes to mind to those who have not yet experienced Lagos. Let’s address each of those perceived issue.
Is Lagos unsafe?
No. No. No. As a whole Lagos got much safer over the last 2 decades and crime reduced sharply everywhere. Today, compared to other Sub-Saharan African cities like Abidjan, Douala, Nairobi, Dar Es Salam, Lagos is equally safe.
However not all neighbourhoods are created equal. Some areas of Lagos still have a higher crime rate than others, especially locations with more middle to lower class population. In the richer neighbourhoods, security is everywhere: entrance of public buildings, gated compounds for residential estates both as a legacy of more dangerous past but also to further reinforce the security perception. And even in less safe neighbourhoods, millions of people live without experiencing crime regularly.
The misperception of an “unsafe Lagos” comes from a lagging perception about Lagos past and also because the international press tend to only emphasise negative stories about Lagos or Nigeria (that people think of the same everywhere).
So you should be prudent but not paralysed by the fear of getting robbed.
Is electricity supply that bad in Lagos?
Unfortunately Yes. But it’s improving. Today every decent building or home still have to be equipped with a standby generator to cope with power outages. However you have to keep in mind that:
· Public electricity is improving with an ongoing liberalization in the sector. Power outages are on average less frequent than 5 years ago even if they are still present
· Lagosians organized themselves to minimize the inconvenience associated to this: most buildings, residential and commercial, are “serviced” with professionals operating and maintaining the standby generator. For private homes or small offices, you might still have to do it yourself
So it’s a pain but way less paralyzing than you might think if you have only lived in a country with a decent electricity supply.
Is traffic a permanent issue in Lagos?
Yes and No. Traffic is recurrent in Lagos on specific axes and specific time. So in a sense, in those context, it’s almost permanent. However, if you optimize your real estate (home relatively to work and other regularly visited places) and habits, you can significantly reduce the negative impact of this on your life. Again do engage with professionals like top tier real estate agencies to get the best advice and experience the best of Lagos.
