Orifunke Lawal

For many people who are in the working class, there is usually a need to consider either living on the Island or mainland of Lagos. A lot of people are crazy about staying on the Island and I do not blame them; everyone wants to stay in the high brow areas. We want that response of admiration you get when you tell someone you stay in Victoria Island as against when you tell someone you live in somewhere like Ajegunle. Right? Lol. Living on the Island is cool, really, and has several benefits. For instance, the place looks beautiful (the fine places o) and I hear that security there is really tight.

The Island consists of areas including Ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria Island, Ajah while the mainland consists of just about every place that is not on the Island. Lagos mainland comprises well over 70% of Lagos.

Having lived on the mainland for a larger part of my life and also having lived on the Island for a very short while, I would readily take living on the mainland over the Island. One, I think I am just really resistant to change and I don’t like moving to new environments even if it’s just for a few weeks. Asides that, here are some reasons why I prefer living on the mainland to living on the Island.

1. Cost of Living

Well, if you are really really wealthy and can afford to keep spending money, you could move to the Island. But for me, I am not a fan of living in a place where I have to spend double or more than I would on the mainland, from the food to the houses and lands and other items. Life on the Island is just too expensive (for me, that is) and when I see a number of my people who just manage to pull through all along with debts incurred from staying on the Island, I am grateful I have settled down with staying where I am. I do not think it wise for anyone to live where they can’t readily afford. What’s the essence of incurring debts because you want to look rich? Tah.

2. Flooding wahala

I decided to visit a friend of mine who stays on the Island one time when I was on a two-week leave from work. The plan was to stay there for a few days before travelling out of Lagos to see my family in Delta state. It turned out to be a very big mistake. The night before I was to travel, it rained cats and dogs and you know Island na– everywhere became flooded. So flooded that I couldn’t even drive out or my car would be badly damaged. Even to walk sef was almost impossible as the water was like a large pool. To make matters worse, the lights had to go off to avoid electrocution problems. I kept blaming myself because I was about to move the next day when it happened.

Photo-credit: https://www.channelstv.com/2017/07/08/lagosians-lament-as-flood-hits-lekki-victoria-island/

3. Traffic is everywhere

I don’t know if it’s just me but I think I prefer mainland’s traffic to Island’s traffic coupled with the fact that Island is far. I know that mainland’s traffic can be really crazy too but then I know I’m close to my house whenever I’m on the Island, no matter how far I could be away from home. What I’m saying is that there’s traffic in both places so I’d settle for that of the mainland. Lol

Photo-credit: ThePointNG

Living on the Island or Mainland?

It might be a different ball game for you and my rules are not hard-and-fast. There are a lot of factors that would require you staying on the Island. For instance, if your job is on/close to the Island, it only makes sense to stay close by. If I was working on the Island, I most likely would have found a way to move there since. If you are also someone who likes your peace of mind intact, the Island could be a better option. I mean, it is not very likely that you will find random bus conductors and drivers breaking bottles on their heads. There are also beautiful houses on Lagos Island, but there are a whole lot of them on the mainland too so… Different strokes for different folks, yeah?

So where do you prefer to stay more if you live in Lagos? Island or Mainland.

Written by Ese Oghene, a practising lawyer and ghostwriter.

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