FUN STUFF IN LAGOS

A Carnival is a festive season and typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

LAGOS, Nigeria's biggest city, on a typical weekday morning sees bumper-to-bumper traffic as people struggle to go to work.However, once in a year the roads are usually not filled with cars, but with people celebrating the Lagos Carnival.

The 2013 Carnival witnessed dancers in colourful costumes similar to those worn by their counterparts in the famous Brazilian Carnival. They shimmied and shook their way through the streets. Bystanders lined up to watch and take mobile phone pictures, while others ogled the women dressed in bikini-styled outfits.

This years’ festival commemorated the region's historical ties with Brazil, as it is a known fact that the Rio de Janeiro carnival is the largest in the world, according to the Guinness World Records, with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.

What most people don’t know is that Lagos Carnival dates back to the 1800’s. The State has a long history of holding Carnivals, particularly on Lagos Island, as a result of historical links with the returnees and their descendants from Brazil, West Indies and Sierra Leone.

It is important to stress that, in the early days women did not partake in dressing up in masks and different clothing, but they were allowed to go around with the different actors.

Next time you visit Lagos State during the Easter period be sure to enjoy the annual carnival which is now a permanent fixture in the State.