EloSela:

@4Play

Well if you go on twitter and Digital spy most of the white Brits who watched the program  are praising the Nigerians because of the program showed them hard at work and pursuing their dreams. The Nigerians on twitter on the other hand are complaining because Lekki and VI weren't shown.

In my opinion there is no point in showing the rich Nigerians in Lekki and Vi when they are the minority as that does not represent Lagos.

@labiyemmy:

The question is this:

Is a mere dump site in Ojota a balanced representation of the whole of Lagos?

Sagamite:

I loved that Orji guy.

Very charming and funny. Trying his best to provide for his family and appears to treat his wife with basic respect, obviously loves his kids.

His English is far better than I would have expected. He also has skill in working the camera, he engages it with his witty remarks: "When the $ is down, the price goes down. When the $ is up, the price goes up. The only difference between me and people that work in the stockmarket is the suit and the tie, and the fyyyyne shoes". LWKMD Crazy guy.

4 Play:

Brits praising resourceful swarthy people, no doubt while quietly retiring into the night with their sense of innate superiority reinforced, is besides the point and is a fairly regular past time. Cue all those documentary programmes on the Masai and other African Bush people in Southern Africa. The fascination and praise can be compared to the same sort evoked whilst watching wildlife programmes.

You will agree with me that Lekki/VI represents an opposite end of the scale to the slums shown by the BBC. Neither is truly representative of Lagos. The problem comes when the BBC insists on solely focusing, with an almost religious fervour, on a particular picture of Lagos which reinforces stereotypes about Africa, stereotypes which are often divorced from reality.

4 Play:

Brits praising resourceful swarthy people, no doubt while quietly retiring into the night with their sense of innate superiority reinforced, is besides the point and is a fairly regular past time. Cue all those documentary programmes on the Masai and other African Bush people in Southern Africa. The fascination and praise can be compared to the same sort evoked whilst watching wildlife programmes.

You will agree with me that Lekki/VI represents an opposite end of the scale to the slums shown by the BBC. Neither is truly representative of Lagos. The problem comes when the BBC insists on solely focusing, with an almost religious fervour, on a particular picture of Lagos which reinforces stereotypes about Africa, stereotypes which are often divorced from reality.

denzel2009:

I still think its better they portrayed Nigerians as hardworking people under harsh circumstances. If they had shown Eric doing yahoo yahoo after the dump shifts to make money, it would have been further dent on our image.

magicfairy:

This program shows a part of nigeria majority of us are unaware of. It shows nigerians hard at it notwithstanding the hardship and squalor. Orji is a man who stands far higher in status than your so called Ikoyi and Lekki people. The Orjis and Erics of this our world need not only to be heard but also seen as good examples of what Nigerians can do and be. I will rather teach my son to have the character and personality of Orji than of people like James Ibori, Orji Kalu, Lucky Igbinedion and co! BBC is showing it as it is!

@labiyemmy:

I think that documentary is like two years old - if i remember, Fashola has cleared that Ojota dumpsite and turned it or part of it into a major park for the much successful BRT buses.

presido1:

I am of the believe that Orji and Mohammed are not part of the dunb family/community. They are paid actors.

I never know this kinda place exist in Lagos. God have mercy, how can people reside in such place, i better go back to my village and start farming and hunting.

Mohammed, 30, is a cattle dealer at the Oluwainshola Cattle Market and Slaughter Yard on the outskirts of Lagos.

"I am planning to marry presently, some time soon. I think it is the right time. I'm 30 now, and I have sent a message to my family letting them know I am ready. They will arrange everything. Her name is Aysha. I have met her three times already, during my trips home to my village in the north. She is good, I like her, there is love and understanding and I don't doubt her at all,

"When the day comes, me and my friends will go to the north, and my wife's family will cook. W e'll gather for prayers, and then I'll take my wife to the house to celebrate the wedding. The next day I'll bring her back to Lagos, and continue selling cows in the market."

JOSEPH ORJI
Joseph, 39, is a scrap trader at the Olusosun landfill site, and lives 10 minutes walk away with his wife and two young daughters.

"My business depends on the dollar. When the dollar goes down, the price goes down. When the dollar is up, the price goes up. The only difference between me and someone who works in the stock market is the suit and the tie, and the fine shoes. I've been working on the dump for 12 years. I'm a buyer. I buy from the scavengers, and sell to the reprocessing factories. Aluminium, zinc, copper wire, rubber slippers – all this is what I buy.

ERIC OBUH
Eric, 28, works as a scavenger on the Olusosun landfill site, the largest dump site in Lagos, and has recorded his first album "Send Them Come".

"They call me Slender, Vocal Slender, that's my music name. Because I'm very lean in the face, and because I'm always singing my songs. I have so many songs I still want to record, good songs that I've written, but no one has heard. Songs about divine love, peace and unity in Nigeria, and others which praise all the girls.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/04/documentary-film-welcome-to-lagos-nigeria

Sagamite:

The programme makers actually helped that Vocal Slender set up a Myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/vocalslender

Nice Track "Owo Yapa", I bet it will hit the clubs in London with a blast.

And the guy has released his track on youtube


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VolH1TnukM8

shotster50:

We Nigerians are always very touchy when it comes to documentaries about Nigeria , most especially Lagos. I dont really undrestand why some people here have a problem with what the BBC are showing when it is a series.

Nigerians arent the only country the foreign media base their documentaries on. Does anybody remeber the slum dog millionaire Did you see any Indian protesting the fact that they based the story on kids from shanty towns in India?  Lets just stop being hypocritical with this issue, after all, not even a lot of us here can afford a walking space in V.I and other affluent areas, yet we want that to be the sole image of Nigeria in the international media.

tunnytox:

Rubbish!! another form of western propaganda to discredit Nigeria, yes its true some ppl leave in this condition but what exactly do they hope to acheive with this documentary? I expect them to go over to some areas here in Manchester, London and several farm areas to make a documentary on how ppl live rough too.
why can't they make documentary on several good parts of Lagos? anyway its in series i'll wait till after all the series before given my final verdict.

AjanleKoko:

I think I like the documentary. It was a fair and decent representation of one side of Lagos, which exists. And the descriptions were apt, and not skewed towards any form of denigration.
Let's take pride in what is ours. Those people are fellow Nigerians. Trying to pretend they don't exist is like denying them their fundamental right to be heard. My view.

Moyola:

. . .I missed it!