From colonial times, Lagos has played a pivotal role in the development of Nigeria and indeed sub-Saharan Africa. In recent times, research engagements have clearly shown Lagos as a multicultural and cosmopolitan urban centre which continues to act as a melting pot cultures. Over time, there have been interesting conversations around emerging praxes in the areas of histories, social identities, declonisation discourse and indigenous knowledge systems.

Furthermore, the “Lagos Is A No Man’s Land” cliché continues to rear its head at important sociopolitical discussions both at city and national levels. It is interesting to note that the debate has been ongoing since the 1970s^[1]. The 2023 general elections in Nigeria rejuvenated this debate quite strongly, with serious rifts between different ethnic and interest groups mobilizing around contending claims to Lagos and its resources. 

As Lagos continues to expand on all frontiers, social identities and claims to the city are being reinvented, hence the need to document these trajectories, imaginations and interpretations of the city in a format that can easily be engaged with.

We invite original opinion pieces, poetry, photography and other artistic expressions that speak to the questions of ownership and identity. Submissions can be descriptive, critical, and/or imaginative and engaging with the essence of Lagos. Articles should not be more than 1000 words, while artworks should not be more than 2 pictures per submission.

The book will be presented at the Roundtable on Land and Power: Interrogating Material and Ideological Contestations for Ownership of Lagos, to be held in August 2024.

[1] Tamuno, T. N. (1970). Separatist agitations in Nigeria since 1914. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 8(4), 563-584.