8 ways Lagos can drive you mad

Here is why;

1. The traffic can kill you

It is not normal to spend three to five hours in traffic because you are trying to earn a living.

Plus, imagine a medical emergency that leaves you stuck in traffic.

Lagos traffic is the worst in the world [CNN] Pulse Nigeria

Lagos employers should consider remote work or a hybrid. Valuable man-hours are spent in traffic, because of the mental and physical fatigue from traffic, employees cannot work optimally.

2. The cost of housing is off the charts

Lagos house owners manage space in the most outrageous way possible and put an equally outrageous price.

Samson, a young accountant, takes the long journey to work from Alagbado(close to Ogun state than Lagos) to Ikoyi because that is where his family house is. At the close of business hours, he spends about five hours returning home.

His other option is to rent a house but the decent houses he sees around places like Gbagada and Yaba are N800,000 to N1,000,000.

He is apprehensive to rent such apartment because he thinks it will be a financial drain not to mention the cost of moving in and buying furniture and appliances.

3. The city is overpopulated and polluted

It is hard to catch stars shining in Lagos. Every square inch of the city is full of houses. There is barely any wide expanse of land full of grasses and trees.

Lagos is the centre of every pollution conceivable – air, water, the noise you name it. You cannot find a moment of silence, the entire city is riddled with noise, many popular streets smell of urine because of open-air defecation and rats have their freeway around the city.

4. Your life is not safe

A tanker can just fall on innocent car owners or collide with young students. Accidents happen frequently, and the level of missing people reports is alarming. Just this month, a young girl was murdered in a BRT which is government-controlled vehicle.

Some years ago, a lady died on her way back from work. It was raining, she was on a bike, and she fell off into a manhole.

5. Lagos feeds your vices

Because of the high-stress situation in Lagos, you might find yourself looking for some outlet or relief, that is why even on weekends there is traffic because people are looking to have fun, to have some release. So, they party, engage in casual sex, drink a lot of alcohol or smoke weeds to calm down.

6. Lagos gets on your nerves

From traffic to high-stress jobs with some annoying coworkers, living in Lagos can cause you to be constantly on the edge and angry.

It can also cause a heightened sense of selfishness – a me-first attitude. Have you ever seen people rushing to enter a Danfo? they can push anyone to get in.

7. It feeds your desire to live a fake life

The propensity to live beyond your means, to belong and to be one of the big boys or girls is heightened in Lagos because luxury lives side by side with suffering. Also, when you see people living large on ill-gotten wealth, you might want to mirror them.

8. Finding a faithful partner is hard

The cheating in Lagos is so normal and effortless, married women cheat with single men, single men cheat with other people's girlfriends, people with boyfriends or girlfriends with their same gender friends. It is a mini sodom.

How can Lagos be better?

Remote work or hybrid versions

Mandate remote work for people who do not have to be in the office.

If the government can make remote or hybrid working hours a policy for private and government firms where physical presence is not required, that would be so great.

Issues of electricity and data can come up, but it is not enough to rule out that idea.

Remote work means fewer people on the road, less traffic and fewer accidents and needless death.

2. More security

Increase the number of policemen on the streets of Lagos.

Random street patrols and policemen stationed at high crime areas provides some sort of vigilance, but this is not the case, policemen are more concerned with drivers driving one-way and traffic offences.

3. Public toilets

Since public defecation is so common in Lagos. Building public toilets in communities and parks can reduce the smell.

4. Government overseeing house prices and construction and not leaving it up to unscrupulous property owners.

5. Designating certain lands like parks and recreations even in the middle of the city.

6. Underground trains will reduce traffic and make transportation easier.

7. As for cheating partners, maybe the reduced stress will cause people to focus on their partners.