Ojuelegba is a suburb located in southwest Lagos, Nigeria. Ojuelegba is connects the mainland of Lagos with the Islands. Because of its unique location, Ojuelegba is known for being an extremely busy and overcrowded area. It is one of the busiest places in all of Lagos.
One of the most popular singer/song writers in the world today, Wizkid, was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He documents much of his upbringing in the song, “Ojuelegba”. In the song, he goes into depth on his life of hustling on the streets on the suburb. He expresses how much he prayed during these times and how thankful he is to be much better financial situation today. He preaches working hard, praying, and staying humble in order to accomplish your goals.
This song by Wizkid gives the listener great insight into the living conditions of poorer areas of Lagos. He talks about how he had to hustle on the streets in order to survive, and how other people who live there suffer in the same way. “My people dey there, my people suffer. Them dey pray for blessing,”. Wizkid is giving his audience an idea of what his life was like in Ojuelegba, and how many people are still living in the suburb.
An article written by The Times in London in November of 2012 goes into further detail about the living conditions of southwest Nigeria. The article, titled, “Women Deserve Safe Sanitation,” discusses how one in three women in this area do not have access to adequate sanitation (i.e. toilets, clean water, etc.). “Lacking access to this basic necessity is not just an inconvenience; it impacts on all aspects of life,” (The Times).
A recent study conducted in July of 2013 shows the living conditions of Lagos, Nigeria from a statistical standpoint. The study, by Hemodialysis International, examined how people with end stage renal disease (ESRD) were being treated and cared for in Lagos. The study concluded that, “The patients with ESRD who entered into the maintenance hemodialysis program of our hospital were poorly prepared for dialysis, under-dialyzed, had inadequate treatment of anemia and were frequently transfused with blood. All these factors combined lead to poor outcomes,” (Hemodialysis International).
These sort of living conditions are not new to Africans. As we learned in class, throughout history, many Africans were mistreated and abused by Europeans. From Europeans unethically colonizing their land, to the French forcing them to fight in their armies, this sort of unethical treatment has existed in Africa throughout History.
What does all of this mean? Why is it important?
These documents as well as the personal experiences documented by Wizkid in the song, “Ojuelegba”, give us an idea of what life is like for some Nigerians. Work is often hard to come by, sanitation is neglected, and medical care is bare minimum. Perhaps more could, and should, be done by other governments to help improve conditions, as The Times calls upon them to do.
But this does not discourage many Nigerians from prospering. As Wizkid emphasizes in his song, working hard and praying can and will go a long way. Wizkid himself went from hustling on the streets of Ojuelegba to one of the most famous singers in the world. Other Nigerians such as Hakeem Olajuwon, a former NBA superstar, and John Boyega, a lead actor in the new Star Wars movie, have achieved great success. The achievements of these people are admirable, and are a clear representation of the fact that hard work pays off.
Further Reading:
Baroness Jenkin, Baroness Kinnock, and Annette Brooke. “Women deserve safe sanitation.” Times [London, England] 19 Nov. 2012: 20. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 5 Oct. 2018.
Babawale T. Bello, Yemi R. Raji, Ibilola Sanusi. Challenges of Providing Maintenance Hemodialysis in a Resource Poor Country: Experience from a Single Teaching Hospital in Lagos. Hemodialysis International, July 2013, muhlenberg.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5164082015.
