Steem Women club Engagement Contest2 | MY PLAN TO VISIT LAGOS STATE

INTRODUCTION: Good day wonderful people of this community, you are all welcome to day 5 of the second week of this contest. Last week, I started with this contest but unfortunately, along the way, my phone was stolen and I couldn't continue. Here I am today.

I would like to commend the effort of the Steemit board that brought up this awesome contest idea as it has been helping me a lot. I would also like to commend the effort of each community for igniting the creative power in all Steemians. You are all doing a great job.

Today, I will be sharing my plan for an upcoming trip to a state in my country. I plan to travel to the former and the first capital of my country Nigeria. You can guess the state right? Yeah, It is Lagos state.

It is gonna be a long ride, so, relax and just grab a glass of water and sip through as you read.

Brief history of Lagos state

So, I am going to get started by telling us a brief history of this state and I am sure by the time I am done with the section, you will also have the urge to visit or know why I want to visit the state so badly. so, let's get started.

Lagos State is the largest city in Nigeria and it is in the top three of the most populous city in Africa. As of 2018, the state has a population of 23.5 million. The state is the main African financial center of the country and it was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991. Many a time, the state has been tagged the cultural, financial as well as the entertainment capital of the whole of Africa.

In 1472, the Portuguese were the first to land on Lagos Island where they engage in slave trading up until when Lagos came under the British control in 1861. Lagos became the capital of Nigeria in 1960.

We need to that the state is also a major educational center in Africa at large and this is one of the major reasons why I am planning to visit the state.

Lagos on Google Map

My plan for the trip

In this section, I am going to share my plan for the trip.

I plan to make use of my upcoming school break that is coming up in June for the trip. The break will span for 1 month and I planned to use three good weeks for the trip as I would love to see as many historical places as possible critically.

Truth be told, up till now, I have not been able to travel to Lagos because of some reasons like, how very busy and rugged the state is. I am calm and easygoing that don't like unnecessary stress and I have heard a lot of stories about occurrences in the state. However, I had made up my mind that these stories will not stop me from visiting all these historical places in the state now that I am a little bit grown up.

I decided to use three weeks out of them for weeks so I can get enough rest before the commencement of another section in my institution. It is important to rest one's head. Yeah, the trip will be refreshing but then, complete rest from everything has its work in the brain and is important.

Where would I stay and how do I know my way around

Where would I stay?

As for my plan on where I am going to stay for these three weeks, Just as we know that June is fast approaching, I already have that settled. Just last week, I called one of my aunty who I like so much and I told her about my plan and she was ready to host me for these three weeks. That settled😊.

I chose to call her first and ask for that favor because I could remember many things she has done ever since I was small anytime she comes visiting my parent.

Now the next on the list is, who will show me around or how do I know my way around?

Don't forget that I said earlier on that I have never been to Lagos before and this should tell us that I don't even know all these places that I want to visit. This is actually what prompts me to ask for another favor from her.

She is happily married and a mother of three children. The firstborn who is a boy is a grown-up and he is someone I relate easily with and so I asked her if I and her firstborn could visit all these places together. She said she will get back to me as she will have to confirm with him if he will be free in this particular month and she already did too. Yeah, it was a positive response. That settled too😊.

As much as I would have loved to visit these places together with my aunt with the kind of love she shows me whenever I am around her I can't as she is the mother of the house and I have to consider that she has any responsibility in the house and that I should not add to this responsibility.

Actually, I see it as a plus that it will be two guys moving about and I am sure you know what the male gender can be able to do. Yeah, you guessed right. I just can't imagine how sweet those moments will be.

What would I eat or be eating?

Yeah, you guessed right, I would be staying with my aunt so, I have no problem with that also. Settled too😊

Places I am planning to visit

Nigeria's first Storey building

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Visiting this place has always been in my mind ever since I encountered it in one of the current affairs textbooks back then in my primary school days. I have always wanted to see the first Storey building where the first-ever Bible was converted to my language Yoruba is been kept.

This building was built by Reverend Henry Townsend and is located in Badagry, Lagos. The building process started in 1842 and was completed in 1845 and this means that it took a good three years to complete the building.

This is the number one place on my agenda to visit as I would also give some respect to the first Yoruba Bible. I will also add that, Ajayi Crowther was the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria that translated the Yoruba bible. You see that apart from seeing the building and the bible, I will also get to see some art from this great linguist. Yeah, he is a Yoruba linguist.

Furthermore, it is in this building that the first safe of Nigeria which currently contains cowries which is the first money that was spent in the olden days by Nigerians is kept.

I believe you can see why this tops my list.

First Storey Building location

National Arts Theatre

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The National Arts Theatre was used to mark the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in one of the Nigerian former presidential administrations and was constructed in 1977. I plan to visit this place as I will get to see different historical arts physically as was seen in textbooks. This will be pretty educative, right?

The building is located in Iganmu, Lagos and we can see the location on thegoogle Maps by clicking the link below.

National Arts theater

Tafawa Balewa Square

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You know while I was growing up, I like history and technology so much. Well, I can attribute my liking for history to the fact that my mum randomly does quizzes on history with rewards and so I read history very well. In one of the current affairs manuals, I got to know Tafawa Balewa as the first prime minister of Nigeria and that this Square was constructed back then in 1972 in memory of him.

From my research, I found out that the Square can accommodate as many as 50,000 people, it has many horse statues, and it houses the remembrance Arcade that was constructed to honor veterans and victims of World War I (WW1) and World War II (WW2) and many more which I will get to see soon.

Now, the Square is used for religious gatherings, government events, and private business.

The Square is located on Lagos Island and we can see the location on theGoogle Maps by clicking the link below.

Tafawa Balewa Square

The Third Mainland Bridge

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Before the October Bridge that was built in Cairo, the Third Mainland Bridge is the longest in Africa. Interesting right? Yeah. The bridge was built by Julius Berger which is a name that pops up a lot in those current affairs books. The bridge was commissioned by a President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990 while he was still a president. I can't wait to see how long the bridge is physically to be the second-longest bridge in Africa.

The Third Mainland Bridge span from Oworonshoki to Adeniji Adele Interchange which is on Lagos Island and this we can see on thegoogle map by clicking the link below.

Third Mainland Bridge

Freedom Park

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The Freedom Park is the first UNESCO Heritage site and a historical landmark in Lagos. It was built to celebrate the Lagos colonial heritage as well as the history of the Old Broad Street prison. Also, hope you don't forget that part of my reason for all these visits is to catch some fun and relax? Well, Freedom Park is both a recreation and art park that provides all that.

I need to tell you that the park is a national memorial center as well as a cultural site where I will get to know some history about the slave trade that occurred back then in Nigeria.

Freedom Park is located on Lagos Island and we can see the location on theGoogle Maps by clicking the link below.

Freedom Park

And yeah, right now, these are the five places that are on my agenda. Well, it is a subject that could change depending on the total amount of money I can raise and also if there is still time in the three weeks I am to use.

You can see that my advice for you to get a glass of water was a good one.

I am sure you've got to learn some new things in my post and that you also enjoy it.

Thanks for reading up to this point.

I would also love and appreciate you if you can drop a nice comment below. GRACIAS!!!

I invite @ojerindejoel @bolaji001 @olawole111 to participate in this contest.

#travel