Lagos is a massive city with massive problems.
It’s plagued by traffic jams, power cuts, street gangs, police extortion, widespread fraud, and every hustle under the sun.
I’ve always been drawn to Africa’s desert regions in my own travels.
And I’ve always thought of Lagos as a place to avoid: a dangerous shithole where nothing good could possibly happen to the outsider unlucky enough to stumble into it.
Those are the stereotypes, anyway.
I came away with a very different impression of Africa’s largest megacity after reading the book we’re discussing today.
It shares the story of six incredibly resourceful people and their efforts to survive and thrive amidst the chaos, aided by faith and a range of spirits which must be placated to get them on side.
I’m joined by Tim Cocks, author of Lagos: Supernatural City.
As Reuters West and Central Africa bureau chief, he covered events in two dozen African countries, including Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Kenya, Liberia, and South Sudan. He’s currently based in and reporting from Johannesburg.
You can follow his writing on Twitter.
We spoke about ancestral spirits, the importance of community networks, and the desperate need to hustle without getting hustled yourself.
These are the books we mentioned in the podcast:
We also mentioned:
- BBC documentary Welcome to Lagos
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