Some of our staff were told by doctors not to eat food they were given in Lagos – David Adefeso writes about his visit with his girlfriend Tamar Braxton

David Adefeso was in Nigeria few weeks ago with his girlfriend Tamar Braxton, and it seems it will be one of the memories he will forever cherish. 

The financial consultant said he grew up in Lagos but stated that the trip to the South-West state for his mother’s birthday was not a ‘nice chill vacations under the warm Cancun resort sun’. 

David disclosed that before his visit to Lagos which he had lived in for the past 30 years, he heard how dangerous the state had become including risky night trips, kidnappings and bribery becoming a standard. He further revealed that some of the staff they embarked on the trip with were told by doctors not to eat the food they were given. 

He wrote; 

When I asked my @tamarbraxton to come with me to my mom’s birthday party in Nigeria I had no idea what to expect. I grew up in Lagos ??so I was excited to take her back home, but this was not one of our nice chill vacations under the warm Cancun resort sun . No! This was a trip to Lagos, a tough, hot city where the “hustle” never ends. Not having lived there for almost 30 years I’d heard stories of how dangerous Lagos had become.

They said night trips were too risky, kidnappings were regular and bribery was standard. Heck some US doctors told some of the staff we brought along not to eat the food . We braced ourselves for the unexpected but instead we experienced a colorful explosion of culture, intertwined with wildly imaginative and unapologetic tradition.

The richly exquisite native cuisine can only be experienced, not described  and all of this is surrounded by a vibrant, pulsating sense of optimism that is apparent the moment one steps off the airplane. We had the time of our lives in Lagos!!! We danced all night at a cool upper-end Lagos night club; jumped into a studio session with 3 of the topmost musicians in the country; visited nikeartgallery owned by a legendary fashion designer and her charming husband; joined an impromptu dance competition at an equally impromptu family reunion surrounded by 30 of my closest family members; and hung out with a visionary 21st century king with charm and personality who was surrounded by deep historical and cultural norms and traditions that remind one of how proud and strong our country must have looked and felt like long before the colonialists arrived.

Did I mention the open-air market where a 30-minute haggling session over a pair of handmade flip flops is standard and the Fulani “mallams” are all cool smooth talkers! How about the time when Tamar got mad at me because I made her walk in this surreal darkened alley one afternoon with dirty rainwater up to our ankles; later Tamar would “make it rain” at my dear mom’s 80th birthday party! We did this all in 5-packed, fun-filled days and the best part is we documented every part of it just for you so stay tuned