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EveryParampara

Traditions of Lagos

A megacity on the Gulf of Guinea, famed for Yoruba aso ebi, jollof rice and the Eyo masquerade.

Lagos is the largest city in Africa by many counts and the commercial heart of Nigeria. Its Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and other communities make it a city of festivals, music and food. Weddings with matching cloth, aso ebi, and Sunday service parties are woven into the city's rhythm.

Lagos: Gowon Estate area, Egbeda, Lagos-Nigeria
Photo: Fachab, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Eyo and aso ebi

The Eyo festival is a masquerade of white-robed figures in tall hats who walk the streets of Lagos Island in procession, honouring the dead. At parties, relatives and friends wear matching cloth, aso ebi, to mark the occasion. At weddings the groom's family and the bride's family meet in a formal introduction, and the couple dance while guests spray money.

At the table

Jollof rice, cooked in a tomato and pepper sauce, is served at parties, and Nigerians cheerfully argue over who makes it best. Suya, spiced grilled meat, and moin moin, steamed bean pudding, are loved. Pounded yam with egusi soup, and puff puff, fried dough, feature at celebrations.

Signature traditions of Lagos

Eyo FestivalThe Lagos masquerade.Aso ebiMatching cloth for events.

Also part of it, and being written: Jollof rice (The party rice.), Suya (The spiced skewers.), Yoruba people (The people of southwest Nigeria.).

A trail idea for Lagos

  1. Lagos Island See the Eyo route.
  2. Lekki Conservation Centre Walk the canopy.
  3. Balogun Market Browse the fabrics.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

KindSpiritualFestivalRite of passageTable customSeasonalDressPerformanceEtiquetteCraftGameFolkloreHomeCeremony
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperTea-time and snacking customsTea, coffee and drinking ceremoniesSweets given and sharedFeasts and festival mealsFasting and breaking the fast
🇳🇬 Calabar, NigeriaCalabar Carnival An annual December street festival and cultural gathering held in Calabar, NigeriaFestival 🇧🇯 Porto-Novo, Benin and 3 moreZangbeto A traditional security institution and night-guardian cult among the Ogu people of West Africa.Ceremony 🇳🇬 Lagos, NigeriaEyo FestivalAdamu Orisha Play A Yoruba masquerade procession honouring departed leaders and royalty in LagosFestival 🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 2 moreAso ebiAsọ-Ẹbí Matching cloth worn by family and friends at Yoruba weddings, funerals and partiesDress 🇸🇳 Dakar, Senegal and 4 moreWorld Festival of Black ArtsFestival Mondial des Arts Nègres A recurring month-long gathering of arts, music and writing from Africa and its diasporaFestival 🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 2 moreIndependence Day Nigeria's national day, marking the end of British rule on 1 October 1960Ceremony

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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