NIGERIA: Lagos: Lagos Lagoon

If you're in Lagos for the first time... you would notice a huge body of water while crossing from Lagos Mainland to Lagos Island, vice versa. It's so huge that it must be one of the largest lake in West Africa, right? Wrong...

That is, my friend the Lagos Lagoon. Yes, a lagoon. More specifically, an inland lagoon. It's very much inland that I thought it was a lake with murky water. Even the Portuguese who came ashore in the 1400s got it all wrong. They named the place Lagos, built some trading post along the shore of the "new" found place and the name stuck! The original name, Èkó still in use too, by the Yoruba. After all, we are in Yoruba land. 

 Map of Lagos state and the huge inland lagoon, Lagos Lagoon

NIGERIA: Abuja: Malaysia Day (16 September 2016) - (PART 1)

Late August, I received an email from the High Comm's office in Abuja inviting Malaysians in Nigeria to celebrate Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) with them. There will be the flag raising ceremony and singing of the national anthem, Negaraku. A short speech from the Prime Minister would be read out by the High Commissioner himself and like truly Malaysian we are, there's the makan-makan (eating, feast). 

It was the 59th Merdeka celebration and we in Lagos, 8++km away celebrated by organising a small makan-makan for Saifuddeen. He and his family left this shore a few days after Merdeka day.