The Essay Is Out: On Lagos and Third Spaces.
A few weeks ago, I shared an excerpt from a work-in-progress essay on Lagos and the idea of “third spaces.” Many of you read it, shared it, and sent thoughtful messages about your own experiences of the city.
I’m happy to share that the full essay has now found a home with Unruly Magazine.
The piece is, in many ways, a love letter to Lagos and my complicated relationship with the city. But it is also an attempt to document a cultural shift happening in real time. Across Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Lekki, a new ecosystem of curated social spaces is emerging: part gallery, part café, part community hub. The essay traces how we got here: from early social spaces like Stranger Lagos, Wèré House, A White Space, to the present moment shaped by the city’s increasing cultural capital, its relationship with the Nigerian diaspora, post-pandemic behavioural shifts, and a new generation of adults trying to rebuild forms of gathering that feel meaningful.
Like most of my writing, the essay sits somewhere between cultural observation, memory work, and media analysis. I was interested in how culture forms quietly around us: how cities teach us who belongs, where we gather, and what it costs to participate.
Thank you to the team at Unruly for giving the essay a home and for the thoughtful editorial care.
If you read the excerpt here earlier, you can now read the full essay online at Unruly.
And if it resonates, feel free to share it with someone who has tried to make a life (or a community) in Lagos.