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The Cities’ Honeypots

By newswatchngr.com 31/08/2011 10:24:00

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They are the “sweetest” parts of the nation’s towns and cities and they hardly go to sleep at night

“I’m shocked at how early everything closes here. I miss the late nightlife in NYC. I got to go home and sleep.”

Neil Patrick Harris, the American actor and singer, spoke those words about an unnamed place sometime ago. But he possibly couldn’t have been talking about Nigeria, Africa’s most populous and vibrant nation. Nigeria, no matter what opinion people have of it, has never fitted anyone’s description of a benign, quiet place. The country is, among many other categorisations, a bustling, happening place! Nigerians, no matter their socio-economic status or condition, love to enjoy life, and this is even more evident at night.

From Lagos, Nigeria’s most popular and populous city, to Abuja, the country’s new capital city, Port Harcourt and many other towns and cities, the lure of the night is irresistible.

Once night falls, fun lovers eagerly hit the streets in different towns across the country in search of entertainment. And excitement is not hard to come by, depending on one’s choice. The night clubs, the live music centres, the food and drink joints, the hotels and the beach sides, are just some of the places people love to visit at night. For many of such night crawlers, the entertainment lasts deep into the night. That, in itself, says something about the level of security available at night in some Nigerian towns.

Nigeria, like many other countries of the world, has faced some security challenges, given the menace posed by armed robbers and social miscreants, but the nation’s law enforcement officials have neither given up nor shirked their responsibility of ensuring safety of lives and property. That is why, at night, policemen are seen in strategic places across the towns, thus giving the citizens a reason to go out and have a good time.

In Lagos, many of such night clubs or joints operate late into the night, and each has something unique to it, in terms of service, drinks and foods on offer. The night clubs include Q in da Club, located on Majekodunmi Street, off Allen Avenue; the New Page Bar and Lounge at Opebi; 11-45 and White House clubs in Victoria Island; Nightshift Coliseum at Opebi; the New Afrika Shrine at Agidingbi and many others in other parts of Lagos like Surulere, Festac, Ikoyi and Victoria Garden City.

Apart from night clubs, there are joints scattered across Nigeria’s “centre of excellence” as Lagos is referred to; like the one on Allen Avenue, close to Toyin Roundabout. There, music, drinks, satellite TV and berbecued meat are part of the available attractions, and the clients cut across all classes and ages. Such a scene is not hard to find in many other areas of Lagos. Apart from these, there are also usually one social event or the other every other day in the city, thus confirming Lagos, as indeed Nigeria’s entertainment capital.

Abuja may be a relatively new city, but it is also not lacking in fun spots. And many of them are better explored at night. Peter Nwike, a civil servant, has lived in Abuja, for close to 18 years. He recalls that, “in the early nineties, there were few fun spots around town, but the situation began to change in the late 90s and up to this day and Abuja, has since lost its innocence.” Today, the city’s bubbling night life is, in part, attributed to the existence of night clubs and joints, along with live music in some places. The night clubs include the Dome, Blake Excellence, Baba 20-10 and those of Nicon Luxury and Sheraton hotels and others.

There are also the beautiful parks around town, cinema and the amphetheatre near the Musa Yar’Adua Centre and the Wonderland, also known as Fun City adjacent the Abuja National Stadium which is noted for its unparalleled recreational facilities for children. It is manned by the Lebanese. Hardly will a child go into the place and want to come out in a hurry given the games that go on there, the beautiful landscaping designed for the fun of children, and the eateries. The Millennium Park near the Three Arms Zone, is another place to be in Abuja. With its 24 hours wireless internet service which is free, it is one area where fun seekers troop to at night, particularly journalists, students and other internet users. In Abuja, it is an offence for commercial sex workers to hang around on the streets or in public places awaiting customers. But the situation is different at the Millenium Park, as call girls are seen hanging around.

Other areas of interest in Abuja include Area 8 garden which is sometimes called “Wonderland” or “Beer Village.” The area cuts an image of a typical village night market. Its unplanned nature and poor landscaping make it unattractive but activities there attract people to the place.

The Byuan resort in Garki 2 is another well patronised joint. It is one place a visitor will not forget in a hurry given the variety of traditional foods and chilled drinks on offer with its well tended lush and green lawns.

There’s also the Lagos Street in the same Garki 2, surely another place to be at night in Abuja. The street is alive 24 hours and the fervour of commercial activities in the area heightens as the night grows older.

Unlike in the past, during the heady days of militancy when kidnapping was rampant, fun loving residents of Port Harcourt, now move about in the capital city, in day and night, unmolested. Some head for the cinemas; others go to night clubs and other places of interest.

The Silverbird Cinema, established some three years ago, provides fun for movie and film buffs. It is an entertainment outlet for families and individuals, especially during the weekends. There is also the Port Harcourt Club at the old GRA, though with some restrictions for non-members.

Phase two and three of the new GRA in the state capital is a place to visit after the close of work each day. The Casablanca, a night club situated at Abacha Road, provides good entertainment too for pleasure seekers. The club offers local artistes in the state the opportunity to perform at weekends. Just opposite it is the Kelly Night Club. At weekends, night revelers, with their vehicles, take over the large expanse Boulevard, leaving little space for other vehicles to pass through.

There’s also Omas Restaurant, which is located at Abacha Road, new GRA. It is the latest sensation in town and is adjacent the police station in the area.

Omah Jerry, supervisor of the eatery, said the outfit has all it takes to make customers feel at home, including live bands on weekends. Part of Omas strategy is to try to introduce elements that would attract and sustain patronage. That informs, he said, the desire to periodically bring in artistes and entertainers from outside the state to entertain guests.

There’s also, in the same area, the Bougain Villea Hotel, one of Port Harcourt’s classy hotels. Another is the Hotel Presidential, a five-star hotel. Down town the Liberation Stadium area is the Two Sisters, a restaurant that is also pulling lots of customers. Situated opposite the Primary School Elekahia, the place is well known for its thriving night life.

These places attract people like bees to honey and contribute to the thriving night life in these cities. But it is not restricted to Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. It cuts across and such features are present in many other major towns like Kano, Enugu, Benin, Ibadan and others. A tourist would sure have pleasant memories to talk about.

Reported by Anza Phillips, Godfrey Azubike and Cinderella Amos