Big, loud and in-your-face, Lagos is a packed megacity where the streets are teeming with life and the buzz of innovation. Home to nearly 20 million people, Nigeria’s economic nerve center constantly attracts big numbers of people pursuing fortunes and dreams.
For entrepreneurs here, starting and growing a business can be fairly tricky work. It can also be exhilarating and full of opportunities.
With all of this in mind, we wanted to know what it was like to set up shop in Lagos. To get a lay of the startup landscape, we asked you to finish this sentence: “You know you’re running a business in Lagos when…”
Using the hashtag #CNNLagos, you delivered giving us the lowdown on the good, the bad and the ugly. Here’s 13 signs you are a Lagos entrepreneur — as chosen by people in the megacity.
1. You will always get stuck in traffic:
2. And even then sometimes it doesn’t matter what you wear or how you pitch:
3. At times, keeping the lights on can be a struggle (and not because you didn’t pay the bill):
4. Not that a little blackout is going to stop you:
5. Sometimes business can be a waiting game:
6. But with a huge potential market, the sky’s the limit for a good idea:
7. You’ve got to work with officials:
8. And then there’s the other unexpected expenditures…
9. Offers are key to stay ahead of your rivals:
10. But despite the trials and tribulations, you can always find a solution:
11. Your phone is constantly stuck to your ear and that means…
12. As if getting stuck in traffic constantly isn’t enough, sometimes there isn’t even enough gas for that 4+ hour car ride!
13. But you never give up because the success could be just around the corner!
