Hello,
Thank you for attending this month Conversations @ INDIGO. In case you missed out, here are the highlights of the conversation.
The second edition of Conversations @ INDIGO draws an opinion from different fields on how the city of Lagos can be hacked for sustainable living. Interestingly, everyone agreed that living in Lagos required a level of personal and human management skills; ability to navigate your way through physical and emotional space in Lagos.
One conclusion Lagosians are fast at making especially when conversations like this come up is to blame the leaders or hope on God to resolve their challenges. At the beginning of the conversation, it was agreed that the solution will be examined without the inclusion of government and God as we are responsible for many of the issues in Lagos. In an attempt to hacking Lagos, here are some of the issues raised:
Lagos is a fast-paced city where things are moving slow
Where hacking Lagos to some is more emotional than physical, it is physical than emotional to another. Lagos is a fast-paced city where everyone is doing things at the speed of light, some are being successful at it where others are still trying to find their feet. In an attempt to navigate Lagos, people encounter huge emotional manipulation that drives them crazy; ability to meet up with extravagant lifestyle and meeting up with a whole lot of things within a very short period. Thus, taking away their recognizable humanity, leaving them with “the anxiety problem” that keeps their growth level low in the fast-paced city of Lagos.
We want Lagos to work but in our own way
Trying to make Lagos work in our own way at times can lead to unsustainable development. Understanding basic human needs and applying a sense of humanity to our everyday activities is one way to making Lagos work for everyone and not just for you.
Security as a problem to hacking Lagos
Going outside one’s comfort zone makes you realise that you don’t know Lagos as well as you think you do. Therefore, hacking Lagos in this sense will mean breaking out of one’s comfort zone and trying new things. One of the challenges faced by Lagosians who attempted trying new things is the issue of security – leaving the Island to the mainland or exploring new possibilities in areas where the crime rate is high and police brutality is a norm. therefore, navigating security challenges is one way to hacking Lagos.
Navigating the written and unwritten rules of Lagos
You have to be hardened to be in Lagos. There is a general understanding that navigating Lagos requires money or a great deal of connection; paying/finding your way out of police brutality and harassment, settling area boys just to feel safe, living large on nothing just for a sense of belonging. Trying to do all of these without money or connection can be challenging. Therefore, how did those who don’t have money or connection navigate Lagos?
- Character: Lagos itself is a movie and the ability to act into the character of Lagos will get you out of almost every situation which includes knowing what to do in every situation. In other words, hacking individuals is the way out.
- Charisma:
- Courage: we all need the courage to keep our humanity and goals so as not lose ourselves to the life and nature of Lagos.
How to Hack Lagos
You can’t describe Lagos you can only experience it. Where this is true, we believe the following can help you hack Lagos successfully.
- Being malleable is key to living in Lagos; One needs the ability to be flexible in adapting to change.
- Be socially intelligent
- Be empathetic
- Recognize that everyone is human
- Understand the dynamics
- Make good friends
Don’t lose yourself
