Looking at it from another perspective, I must state that Ibadan is the center of the Yoruba culture a land rich in culture and traditions so there is much to learn. Moreover, Ibadan is called the “the ancient city”. This ancient city has for long held on to its cultural heritage, and this makes it an interesting place to visit in Nigeria. When you go into Ibadan town you would see many brown, rusty roofs and a lot of old looking buildings, some even abandoned. But, in some other parts of Ibadan you would see that the older buildings have been renovated and modern facilities have been installed around the city, the city now has a profound combination of the modern and conservative architectural interpretation. There are malls with escalators, ultra-modern shopping complexes, cinemas, high-end hotels and restaurants, local ‘bukas’ etc. The truth however is, while Ibadan might be an ancient town, there are a lot of things to do and ways to entertain yourself and it all depends on what you want. Events, shows and tournaments are held on a regular basis. Ibadan might be an old city, but not all of its inhabitants have an archaic or boring orientation. There are currently 3 tertiary institutions in the city with students from around the country. So we have lots of young lively folks in Ibadan. Lots of companies (both local and International) are commencing operations in Ibadan.
A lot of people think that the people who live in Ibadan are not trendy. A number of times you see pictures of people looking weird and it being attributed to Ibadan with comments like: “Ibadan girls be like…” or “you can only see this in Ibadan”. Whereas some might consider it entertaining or even hilarious, it fosters a huge misconception. While it is impossible for everyone who lives in Ibadan, as in any town, to be trendy and up-to-date as regards fashion, tech and living in general, most of the inhabitants of the city are quite modish in their appearance and behavior. You should see the very few friends and acquaintances I have in Ibadan. Oh yeah, they are so on point and they are all based in Ibadan. A few weeks after I got to Ibadan I told my closest friend, “I like Ibadan and I would love to stay but I have no one here so how do I cope outside work”. My friend responded “If you decide to stay in Ibadan I promise I would always be there for you, all you have to do is just ask.” That just gave me more peace and joy. I was fine with the life in Ibadan and now I have a friend I could count on. Also I already had a bound with my team in the office and I was too emotionally attached to leave them. They made me find purpose and fulfillment on my job so I couldn’t just leave.
After 3 months of seeing that life in Ibadan was not as bad as I thought, I told my office I would love to stay a little longer in Ibadan. A year later I made the decision not to go back to Lagos because I love my life in Ibadan now. Yeah a lot of times I still do not like or accept some things in Ibadan and I still need to do some adjusting, moreover I miss Lagos and Abuja sometimes, I miss my family and friends especially when it gets so lonely but I have peace in Ibadan.
Many of my colleagues call me “Iya Ibadan” and sometimes ask if I would return to Lagos. I just tell them “NO” because I love Ibadan and I have peace of mind. The best aspect of living in Ibadan is about her relatively peaceful nature.
Lazedon thanks for the graphics.
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