Wo bin Ich zu Hause - Meine heimat für Fremde

What can you expect of Oyo? Oyo is in the south west geopolitical region in Nigeria. It has a population of over 5 million people predominately of the Yoruba tribe. The landmass is over 28,000 square kilometers. The landscape is made up of lots of hard formed rocks and semi shaped dome hills. Taking a drive through the old parts of Ibadan allows you see firsthand how hilly the city is and how houses are built around rocks.  I think the first thing that comes to mind for me when I think of Oyo is the University of Ibadan. Maybe it’s because two of my siblings studied in UI as it is fondly called. Or perhaps because it is one of the oldest and most prestigious institution of education in Nigeria. University of Ibadan was founded in 1948 as a college of the university of London. It became an autonomous institution in 1962. When I learnt I would visit this institution during one of its convocation ceremonies, my excitement doubled because it meant I would also experien...

Like Fela says “ Water you no get enemy” .   Whenever my friends asked to go to a lake or on a beach holiday, I would roll my eyes thinking I can’t swim, and I don’t want to work on my tan cos I got one for free. All my memories of going to the beach in Nigeria start like this, kids running around, sounds of laughter and music in the air, the smell of barbecue, the rushing sounds of the ocean, of waves breaking, people dipping their feet or standing in the water but nobody really swimming.   I couldn’t really swim until 2010 when I finally decided to go to a swim school in Munich. It’s not uncommon that’s a higher percentage of people born in Nigeria not living close to a natural body of water never learnt to swim. And there is of course the tales of the water Gods and Goddesses that prevent people from venturing into natural bodies of water. So yes, I was shocked and surprised to learn that there were Nigerian children surfing at Tarkwa Bay Beach. ...

I went back for the Easter holidays, for the first time I decided I wanted to be tourist in Nigeria. I wanted to find out what it is like to visit places that I would normally go to in other countries. That’s how I met the Mona Monkeys in the Lekki Conservation Centre. Now these little fellas are not shy at all but if you want to get up close and personal with them its best to come early in the morning when the Centre opens. The Centre opens at 08.00 am to 04.30pm – last entry at 04.30 pm.   Where is Lekki Conservation Centre? It is located along the Lekki Epe Expressway. Depending on if you are staying on the mainland or Island your journey could be anyway between 30 minutes to 3 hours taking into consideration weekdays, holidays and weekend traffic. Apart from interacting with the Mona Monkeys you can get to see reptiles like monitor lizards, snakes and crocodiles. This area of land on the Lekki peninsula represents the natural ecosystem of the whole ...