Lagos is a fascinating place but every Lagosian knows that to
survive, you must learn the language of the street. Some of the slangs
are actually words of Yoruba origin but have been blended into everyday
conversation so think twice before you say you’re not interested
‘vernacular’. Below top ten street expressions common in Lagos.
Twale
Twale is an exclamation that is used to show respect to another
person. In Lagos, saying Twale is accompanied by raising the two hands
and raising a leg. That’s to show the person that you accord the person
some respect. In dangerous situations, shouting twale can take you out
of a dangerous situation.
Area boys are the king of the street. In difficult situations learning to speak like them can save your life
Askari
Askari is another name for a policeman. That doesn’t mean when you
see a policeman, you should call him that. It is rather usually used by
people who probably want to warn that a police is around and so you need
to be careful or disappear as the case may be.
Eja
Eja is the Yoruba word for fish. In this case however, the meaning is
far from it. it is a slang for marijuana and is a very common euphemism
employed by smokers. Therefore, you need to think twice before
accepting an offer of Eja as it may not be Titus that the person is
offering you.
Akube
If you see those guys and babes who parade themselves in ‘fitted
tops’ and frayed jeans, don’t think they all do their shopping in those
boutiques in Lagos. Some of them know that Katanguwa market is the place
to get the best Akube. Akube is slang for grade 1 second-hand wears.
Yaba Left
If someone asks you if you’ve been to Yaba left or you plan to go
there, the person is actually talking about the psychiatric hospital ay
Yaba. The slang is used to mean you need to get your head checked
probably because of something you did or said!
Radionic
A radionic work in his workshop
Radionic sound like a word out of Merriam Webster dictionary and its
used as a professional description of the person who repairs electronic
appliances like television, radio, DVD, etc. Nobody cares what the real
name is since Radionic has been adopted in Lagos as the professional
name of the repairer of these appliances.
Agbero
That’s the name of the guy you see with his trouser hanging loosely
around his waist as if he needs a belt. He might be brandishing a cane
in one hand and holding a bottle of gin in the other hand. He probably
has a deep baritone and his base is the bus-stop where he collects (or
extort) money from commercial drivers. He probably has an NURTW ID but
that doesn’t change who he is. He is an agbero and that’s what he does
for a living. Please don’t call him that name though as you might be
forced to see the stars in the afternoon.
Igbo/Aba Made
That’s slang for counterfeit or substandard goods. It however does
not necessarily mean the product was made in Aba or produced by an Igbo
person/company. Somehow, the name has been adopted by Lagosians probably
because the Igbos have been known to be in the business of selling
copy-cat products in Lagos. No seller will however tell you he is
dealing in copy-cat products so don’t go to the market and say you need
an Igbo-made shoe!
Aso-ebi
Aso-ebi is a Yoruba word that means ‘family cloth’ but its usage is
beyond that. It means the cloth material that is made available to
friends and families to use uniformly during an Owamber.
Owambe
That’s another name for a party, ceremony, function, etc where food
and drinks are available aplenty. Owambe is a Yoruba word which loosely
means ‘it’s there’. That means something wonderful or noteworthy is
going on and you need to be there. Lagosians love the opportunity to
flaunt the gorgeous aso-ebi and enjoy free meal. The next time
you get an invitation to attend a wedding or burial ceremony, know it is
going to happen there!
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