By Anthony Emeka Nwosu
Living in Owerri is like stepping into a place of sanity. If you’ve lived in Lagos for years, you’ll quickly realize that cities like Enugu, Uyo, and Calabar offer a calm and organized atmosphere that sharply contrasts the chaos that Lagosians have come to accept as normal. Lagos is, without a doubt, a madhouse—where anger, haste, competition, and envy are the order of the day. It’s no wonder why so many people in Lagos suffer from high blood pressure and cardiac arrests!
I’ve been fortunate to visit several Nigerian cities, including Aba and Umuahia, but Owerri holds a special place in my heart as the city where I was born and raised. This place shaped me, and one of its most striking features is its consistent electricity supply. It’s astonishing that my house here in Owerri has had uninterrupted power for two straight days—something that seems almost impossible in many parts of Lagos.
I’m currently in Owerri on a business trip, and it got me thinking about how important it is to share my experiences and shed light on cities like this. Despite the fears surrounding sit-at-home orders, life in Owerri goes on as usual. Businesses are open, and people are conducting their day-to-day activities.
This highlights something significant about Owerri—it’s a clean, orderly city where people respect their environment. Unlike Lagos, where it’s not uncommon to see displays of disregard for public spaces, Owerri maintains a level of decency that’s refreshing. Living in Lagos warps your sense of what’s normal. You start to think that Nigeria begins and ends with Lagos, with its chaotic lifestyle. Beggars, for instance, are everywhere in Lagos—young people asking for money in the streets, security personnel at banks or airports begging for tips, and various agencies like FRSC (Federal Road Safety Corps) and KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline) stopping vehicles for checks or fines. The dirt and disorder become part of everyday life: people throw dirty water on the streets, human excrement is left on sidewalks, and men openly urinate in public.
But then you visit a city like Owerri, and you’re reminded that this madness is not the standard. Here, there’s no shouting, no cursing, no street fights. People are calm, well-dressed, and respectful. You don’t hear conductors hanging out of buses, yelling at the top of their lungs. Owerri’s streets are clean, and the level of civility is remarkable.
Even the transport system here is different. While Lagos is infamous for its noisy, aggressive conductors, in Owerri, you hardly see conductors at all. There’s no rush, no constant yelling. Okadas (motorcycles) and kekes (tricycles) are rare, and you certainly won’t find street touts harassing bus drivers for money.
Another thing I’ve noticed is the level of security and how people enjoy life here. The driving is sane and orderly—no one is swerving or honking aggressively, and the cars on the road are in good condition. It’s a complete departure from the chaos of Lagos, where even taking a simple drive can feel like entering a war zone.
The calmness of Owerri might be due to the high level of education in the state or the way people value their culture. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear: Lagos is not Nigeria. There are other cities, like Owerri and Enugu, where people live peacefully and sanely. The rat race and madness that many Lagosians endure daily should not be considered normal.
If you’ve never ventured outside Lagos, do yourself a favor and visit one of these cities. You’ll quickly realize that life doesn’t have to be a frantic rush to nowhere. Some cities are still sane.
