From the perspective of a woman from Europe

Experiencing Nigeria – More Than Its Reputation

Nigeria has a reputation – and yes, part of it is true. But it’s only a part of this diverse country. Over the past six months, I’ve experienced Lagos intensively and learned more about life than I ever could from a travel guide. You can’t say you know Nigeria after one month – not even after six. It depends on which neighborhoods you visit, which people you meet, and what experiences you have.

Encounters That Leave a Mark

Today I spoke again with a fascinating woman in a small village. She once opened a restaurant but had to close it due to stress and a lack of staff. Giving up is not an option here: instead, she started selling plastic bags to shops, later adding oil and vegetables – and it worked. She simply starts, uses what’s available, and makes the best of it.

Encounters like these show how creative and resilient people here are. They teach patience, perseverance, and flexibility – lessons you can only truly experience on site.

Everyday Life in Lagos: Between Poverty and Creativity

Nigeria is full of contradictions. I have spent time in poor neighborhoods as well as in middle-class areas. Many people earn less than one euro a day, working six days a week, often under difficult conditions. At the same time, there are well-paid jobs and successful entrepreneurs. Everything is possible because much remains unregulated.

When it came to food, I tried to live as close to local life as possible: street kitchens, meals between 50 cents and 1 euro. Typically, there was rice, an egg, a piece of Moi Moi, sometimes a small piece of meat. For many families, that was already a luxury.

Poverty, Aid and Reality

To me, a poor person is someone who no longer has the resources to do something. Many here have little, but they fight, improvise, and try to stay afloat. Not every person is bad or hopeless, and not everyone wants to flee. Good aid organizations do valuable work: donations are carefully managed, planned, and used sustainably.

Observing Nigeria – and Learning About Yourself

The people here are like all of us: they laugh, they struggle, they love. Experiencing Nigeria teaches you patience, to avoid judging too quickly, and to let go of your own preconceptions. You realize how powerful adaptation, creativity, and perseverance truly are.

Nigeria is not a country you can easily understand. But it’s a country that gives you something if you are willing to observe, question, and open yourself to it. Whoever experiences Nigeria experiences more than just a country – they experience people and their lives.

Experience report by Manuela Haag