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.
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
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
- Lagos Island See the Eyo route.
- Lekki Conservation Centre Walk the canopy.
- Balogun Market Browse the fabrics.
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.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Eyo Festival: Slashme, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zangbeto: Grete Howard, CC BY 3.0, source
- Aso ebi: SUPREME LACE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source