Traffic in Lagos

What struck me the most as Mr Azih drove around Lagos was how many cars there were. And second, how fast they were going. Driving on Nigerian roads is no joke; they're riddled with countless potholes, some the size of SUVs. As Mr Azih swerved at 50 miles an hour to avoid one the size of a small cow, he explained that the roads had been falling into tatters for quite some time. "The roads that are managed by the Lagos State Government are a little better [than most other roads]. The Governor of Lagos has been making some efforts to show that he is actually doing something [keeping the roads well-maintained, providing powered streetlights along main roads, etc.]."

Driving along the expressway reminded me of a computer game I used to play when I was a kid. The object of the game was to make it across a river without running into whirlpools. Driving in Nigeria is similar except you're going at over 60 mph...and there are a dozen cars lurching around you doing the same thing...and you have to make sure not to hit the occasional jaywalkers (across expressways!).

Nigerian drivers are fearless.

The picture above is a picture of a typical bus (sometimes called "bush taxi" to distinguish it from the public bus system). The man standing in the doorway and pointing is the "conductor". He shouts out the destination of the bus to potential passengers and collects the fare as they enter the bus. More often than not, when the vehicle is in motion, he remains standing with the door open so that the bus can carry as many passengers as possible. He remains in that position even when the bus is racing down the expressway performing the aforementioned swerving maneuvers to avoid potholes.

Nigerian bus conductors are fearless.