This article is part of the new guide to Lagos from FT Globetrotter
So you decided to come to Lagos for a business trip. why? But seriously, welcome.
You may have heard that Lagos can be confused at the best. That’s true. This is inevitable if the country’s smallest state holds more than 200,000 largest urban populations in the land area. Lagos has more people than a combination of London and New York, a small land surrounded by water. Pack Sunscreen – The sun is really shining. Heat and humidity can make people with skinny skin look quite red.
The first thing you need to know is that Lagos is not for the faint of heart. Many visitors have expressed their opinion that airports, particularly the old international terminals currently undergoing some renovations, will often become a taste of future. There are also valuable lessons at the airport. You must exercise your patience at every turn in Lagos.
Outside the airport, a vast city with slow traffic awaits. Lagos is a mirror of Nigerian society, often flashy and sometimes extreme wealth living alongside dazzling poverty. If you, a dear reader, are visiting Lagos for a business trip, you will see floating slum communities as you are driven by the sparkling towers of the Victoria Island business district and the glittering towers of the clubs of flashy private members dotted into Ikoi and its surroundings.
Anyway, welcome again. And keep in mind that the only universal code in Lagos is that there are few rules and everything is made up as we go. If you’re an order or a stickler of time, as I often do, it can be incredibly frustrating and you need to learn to roll with a punch. But if you are a freewheel spirit that doesn’t oppose the joy, you have found the perfect city. If there is one thing Lagos knows how to do it, it’s a way to have a good time. After all, it is home to Det December, a month-long season with a fun and good atmosphere that marks the end of each year and brings Nigerian diaspora and other nationalities.
Lagos is also the capital of the Afrobeat, a musical genre that swept the world, from Johannesburg to London, New York and Australia, and has made people dance all over the world. As singer Bunty pointed out in his original “Lagos Party” in 2009, “Not a Party like the Lagos Party.” He’s right.
Greetings
Embracing with people you barely know is rare (a plentiful when you know them). There is no French kiss on the cheeks. A solid handshake works in most business environments in Lagos, regardless of the gender of the recipient. Like the rest of the country, Lagos has a large culture of loud, cosplay-like respect, so a kind of bow comes a long way, especially waving along with someone much older. It costs you nothing as an outsider and earns you a lot of goodwill. This has no drawbacks.
At restaurant meetings, we expect to hear from many “sir” and “MA” staff waiting for a “sir” as all interactions interact with one another. I find most of it overwhelming, but these are unwritten habits of the land. Don’t call someone by their first name unless they specifically ask you what you do. And yet, they exercise restraint. It is usually better to treat people as “MR”, “Mrs”, or “MS”. Most people here use honor. You will almost certainly meet the “Chief” or “DR.” Call them “Chiefs” and you’re on your way to gain their trust. Respect – or rather, respect for signaling – is a big part of Nigerian culture. Do object to it at your own risk.
meeting
Schedule a meeting, but be fully aware that the start time is a Lagos proposal, not a binding agreement. If you’re 10 minutes behind, you have a very good chance early on. But always be punctual and plan ahead to beat your traffic.
You may have to wait. It’s not uncommon to keep kicking heels for more than 30 minutes, especially when you meet a “big man.”
After the exchange of pleasure, there will be a chit chat about how you are finding Lagos, questions about your family, and how your wife/husband and children are back home. Don’t worry. Your interlocutors have not gathered Intel for evil purposes. They are trying to relax you before digging into the problems of the day. Indulge in that.
The phone rings during the meeting. The host almost certainly can interrupt the meeting and answer one of many mobile phones at some point. Bring your business cards and get one for everyone on the table. It’s little important that they may already have your details.
Most importantly, don’t come empty-handed: bring “gist.” What is the point, do I hear you ask? In Nigerian terminology, it is a relaxed chatter or gossip, which can be sprinkled through meetings and conversations. You may have come to discuss oil or telecommunications transactions, but you will also be engaged in the dissemination of private diversity information – for example, about a senator who has secured a dangerous contract, or an enforcer of favors with the authorities. My London friend who regularly visits Lagos and regularly for work says that without this ritual her meetings would be incomplete. If the elements of your point are true, it’s always good, but don’t be blocked by sharing a third or fourth scandalous story you picked up from another meeting. The city runs at the key points.
Dress code
Look smart and dress properly. This is important. People here often use a person’s clothes as an agent of their wealth or to stand in society. Mark Zuckerberg’s bland t-shirt didn’t give him any favors here. I always advise men to support Oxford shirts and pants and throw away suits if possible. But I am a journalist and I am not necessarily bound by business attire rules. If you’re a man, wear a suit – you may accessorize with a tie. Dresses are usually fine for women.
In proper circumstances, especially in the evening, don’t be afraid to wear “trad” as traditional African outfits are called street jargon. Wearing this as a foreigner, someone of color or as a white person will only please and earn your host admiration.
You will also buy items while you are here. Tailors usually deliver to hotels and your business associates have tailors to recommend whether you can turn your raw fabric into ready-made outfits in a few days.
Social
You may be invited to lunch, dinner or drinks. I say yes. This is unlikely to be an easy coffee. Expect a feast. There are excellent dining options in the city and people are very happy to welcome you into your home.
Being on a business trip doesn’t prevent you from having fun, so lean towards it. If this is your first time in Lagos, try Jollof Rice, a West African dish. Many countries in the region are debating whose version is best. I’m biased, but to me it’s Nigerian.
Alcohol is played at post-work events. These relaxed settings seal many transactions. I drink it moderately, especially on weekdays. It’s a bad form for people to assume you’re drunk. If you’re a total tea, then just take part and drink the many virgin cocktails that the restaurant here has on its menu. Warning: They are sweet.
Expect to eat at. . . It’s not food. Depending on how late your dinner is, dinner may be at 6pm or 11pm. Time is a constructed concept of Lagos. You need to ignore and push your bedtime through.
Lagos loves loud parties, especially on weekends, that last all the way through the night. The party scene is flashy and laborious, with exotic liquor bottles sold at multiples of the national minimum wage. That may be too much for a middle-aged business executive in town for business. Please contact us and take us to one of the city’s private members clubs.
It’s always better to have cash, but card trading is pretty much successful here too. Lagos is the epicenter of Nigeria’s technology industry, with Fintech and banks almost resolved digital payments. The economy is in a hellish situation and it’s very likely that in a month you spent more on one seat than the waiters make. Holding foreign currency when your local naira is falling will also give you an advantage. I’ll give you generous hints.
Aanu Adeoye is the West and Central Africa correspondent for FT
Do you have any tips for business etiquette in Lagos? Share them in the comments below. Follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @ftglobetrotter
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