Life in Lagos might be very intimidating, to be sincere, with a vast population of over 20 million ambitious people out there to make a name for themselves.
Lagos is akin to New York City, with more ups and downs to life than the Big Apple. It’s a zoo in Lagos. The motto is this: either you eat, or you get devoured!
Although I may be exaggerating a bit, it is undoubtedly a fact that Lagos is one of the most challenging places to succeed, even though it has a wealth of options. One of the toughest things you will face is surviving in this metropolis of vast opportunities.
And given Lagos is the heart of all commercial activity in Nigeria, the daily growth in the number of individuals moving there is not surprising. If you have excellent reasons for moving to Lagos, doing so shouldn’t be a huge issue.
But for anyone visiting Lagos for the first time, understanding how to survive in the city should be of the utmost significance.
Particularly for people from less active nations or states within Nigeria, the everyday hustle and bustle of life in Lagos may be difficult to acclimate to.
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12 Things You Should Know About Lagos
Due to this survival lifestyle, we would be going on a fun-filled read on how foreigners can survive in Lagos. Let’s get started:
1. Loneliness Means Missing Out on Opportunities, so Don’t Think You can Survive Alone
You have virtually little chance of surviving in Lagos alone. This does not imply that you should associate with and strive to befriend everyone you meet.
It only means that you ought to network. It would be best if you intelligently extended your tentacles into as many fields and locations as you can.
Study the people around you and make an effort to develop healthy connections with those who matter to you. Every area of life revolves around knowledge.
You never know if the person you just disregarded has the secret to accessing crucial information that can aid you while visiting Lagos.
So connect so much cause the ingredient in surviving in this jungle of opportunities might rest in the palm of either a friend you meet or an acquaintance you know in Lagos.
Related: Lagos to Ibadan Train
2. Yet, Trust No One
Although you must ensure that you do not ply the road to success in Lagos alone to ensure you don’t miss out on opportunities, you must endeavor to always be on guard by knowing whom you trust.
If you tend to trust others readily, you may need to work on this attribute to prevent it from being exploited by dishonest people to their advantage. Since the human heart is deliberately evil, who knows?
You need to research individuals well before you put your faith in them if you want to survive in Lagos. Else, you might put your trust in either a swindler or, more commonly, the devil himself, who might see your downfall with all their heart.
3. Laziness is the Worst Sin You Can Ever Commit in Lagos
No food for a lazy guy is a proverb actively lived out in Lagos. Even while the city is steaming with opportunities, that doesn’t mean you should expect them to come knocking on your door without first seeking a job or an excellent activity to spend your free time.
Lagos, the nation’s commercial metropolis, is teeming with prospects, so if you’re not lazy, there will always be a job opening that matches your personality and skills. It would be best if you were a diligent worker to ensure you survive in Lagos.
4. Think and Act Smart
Lagos residents are frequently recognized for their constant haste or rush to complete tasks. Most of the time, this is accurate since lazy people cannot thrive in Lagos. Lagosians (people who live in Lagos) are taught to be intelligent and energetic individuals in their daily lives.
That is why the famous phrase “if you remain in Lagos and don’t get clever, you aren’t going to be smart forever” is so often used. You must be shrewd and engaged if you want to survive in Lagos.
5. Always be Security Conscious
If you’re not careful, Lagos is where you’ll lose many of your belongings, including handbags, cellphones, other technology, etc. Because of the city’s dense population, criminal elements may quickly locate locations to carry out their horrible acts.
You must always be aware of your security to avoid being a victim of robberies, pickpockets, and other criminal groups in Lagos and to survive.
6. Confidence is Key & Silence is Not Always Golden
It is considered that a closed mouth means a closed fate. You must learn to speak up if you want to survive in Lagos.
When others find out you don’t like to speak out, they could think you’re an idiot and try to rob you of things that are correctly yours since they know you won’t speak up.
You must also develop the confidence to talk openly about your struggles or circumstances. This is because if you don’t open up to someone on your initiative, not everyone in Lagos will have the time afforded to them to come and ask you to.
7. Tread Carefully on Lagos Roads
Driving in Lagos requires particular caution because there are so many careless drivers in Lagos who act as though they are the only people on the road. Everybody is tense, and they also want to get to their destination quickly.
Also, don’t presume a man is not an Agbero (street tout) just because he is dressed in a suit and tie. You might just be taken aback.
Before boarding a yellow bus, say a prayer or stay as far away from suspicious people as you can because most of them are a definition of disaster.
Another option is to purchase a BRT bus ticket. However, this has its drawbacks, such as having to wait for the bus or stand in large lines to board the BRT.
SEE: Enjoying The Lagos Nightlife Experience
8. Being at Home will Save You a Lot
Stay at home as much as possible. I’ve been working from home, which has been fantastic for me because taking a step out of my house means losing money; either it gets picked by an intelligent pickpocket, or you spend it.
It’s virtually suicidal to commute to work every day in Lagos. Without costs or ill fate, what even is outside? God saved my mum when she was about to be robbed.
The driver was the only one the Agberos robbed. I’m sad that he was robbed, but I’m happy that my mum did not face any harm, mentally or physically.
9. Get ready for Theatrics
There is always constant drama in Lagos. People are ready to pass their problems over to you for no just cause. It now seems as if they take joy in it. A financial dispute between you and an okada guy, bus conductor, or merchant might result in such drama.
The list goes on and on. Sometimes the drama of a stranger spills over to you, and you have to get yourself together to get out of it. Before boarding any mode of transportation, it’s essential to understand the financial cost clearly.
This is to prevent any potential argument after you get to your location. Cause drivers don’t mind spending the entire day with you trying so hard to get under your skin.
READ: Best Lagos Spa Shops to Visit for Quality Services
10. Have an Alternative Source of Income
You require several sources of income in Lagos to make ends meet on a little wage. Even individuals with substantial incomes find it challenging to live off just one source of money, let alone someone like you who has such a small wage.
Although it may be a national hymn in Nigeria, I am aware that 50k will get me a decent self-contained house in Ibadan, but not in Lagos. This is one of the strategies to supplement your full-time job’s income.
Being paid such a small wage in Lagos should encourage you to consider all your options for additional sources of income. I suppose you should quit your job if it pays poorly and you still don’t have enough free time.
There are additional ways to make money that you may do on the side, and the bulk of them can be started with no real money.
11. Not Every Individual is Designed to “flex”
It is common knowledge that Lagos is the city of “Flexing”. It could be alluring to go out and have fun occasionally, but if you want to make it in Lagos on a meager wage, you should cross this task off your list.
I don’t believe flexing is for you if your pay is low in Lagos. Others are in the same situation as you, so you are not alone. You should be aware of this if you persist in spending ₦5,000 every weekend for entertainment.
12. Avoid Making Needless Purchases
Avoid making needless expenditures like purchasing daily data bundles to watch live videos or engaging in gambling. The intention is to go through a period of strict saving while looking for better chances, not to live in squalor forever.
To engage in activities that would improve your job hunt, you need to have some money. Although there are many chances in Lagos, staying there requires many sacrifices.
It would be best if you were careful with your unnecessary spending because it takes a full-time worker only to get by in Lagos on a small wage.
Living in Lagos is not for the faint-hearted. If you want to enjoy your stay in Lagos, relishing every moment as well as learning and building yourself, you need to be cautious as well as intentional about every decision you make. Yes, we only live once, so we should enjoy our life now, but going by that notion in Lagos is a recipe for daily misfortunes.
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