There is something refreshing about finding a place where you can unwind, linger without rushing, and relax, not in the wild gyration style of a club, or the hushed engrossing way of a cinema. Spaces where you can read a book, paint pottery, join a conversation, watch a film, or meet new people are necessary to help one negotiate their identity outside of the fast-paced digital world. These are what sociologist Ray Oldenburg called “third places” spaces that exist outside home and work, where community is built through shared experiences and people can just be.
Across Nigeria, more of these spaces are emerging. From bookstores and cafés to art studios, museums, and cultural centres, they are creating opportunities for people to learn, create, unwind and connect with others. Whether you’re looking to meet fellow creatives, pick up a new hobby or simply spend an afternoon differently, here are ten Nigerian third spaces worth adding to your list:
A Third Space
Directly named after the concept, A Third Space is an infusion of art, community and relaxation. It was created by journalist and curator, Nelson C. J. There are monthly programs that span film club meetings, craft talks, readings, and art exhibitions. Creative writing workshops like ‘Funny Writing/Writing Funny’ and ‘Thursdays At A Third Space’ film screenings allow attendees harness their creativity and refine their craft, and the annual creative oasis, ‘Route 3’ provides an immersive creative retreat. The aim of the space is to create a warm atmosphere that is removed from the hustle and bustle of Lagos living. It allows for people to relax, have important conversations and create communities around art.
Bature Brewery
Also located in Victoria Island, this spot features a mix of activities from watch parties on a large screen to dance and DJ performances, and other kinds of games. On Tuesdays, there is a special hangout called ‘Taco Tuesday’. Attendees get to enjoy tacos alongside the brewery’s special homemade beer recipe, while engaging in fun conversations. People make new friends, enjoy music, dance, and get exposed to unique ideas. Bature Brewery is also home to ‘The Yard’ that combines music, food, and football watch parties, allowing people to build communities over sports fandom. The variety that this spot offers is endless, yet intentionally directed at getting people to have fun and mingle with others, all while appreciating the signature taste of locally crafted beer; the first of its kind in West Africa.
Book Nook
This space is a bookstore that doubles as a home for conversations around history, heritage, and arts. It is located in Lekki and a perfect hangout for bibliophiles who want to exchange stories, discover new reads, or just spend an evening between warm pages. This year, it introduced ‘The Writing Room’. Instead of adopting the structure of a traditional workshop, this simply presents a space for enthusiastic writers to explore various writing genres, beginning with romance for the first edition. Book Nook, as the name implies, is a corner specifically curated for those who crave knowledge and enjoy the art of reading and writing.
Art for Fun by CraftsVillage
Surulere has the perfect walk-in studio setup for a range of creative activities, including paint and sip dates, hand-casting, and pottery making. Through these activities, people can build bonds over brush strokes and mud. There are also opportunities for people to interact with one another and unwind at events like Trivia Tuesdays, Bring Your Food (BYF) Wednesdays, Virtual Reality Thursdays, and Karaoke Fridays. The central aim of these activities is for people to unwind, make new connections and take their minds off the stress from home and work. As people enjoy their coloring, bracelet making and shirt painting, they unlock fresh aspects of themselves and experience their immediate community anew.
Korean Cultural Center, Nigeria
Located in the CBD (Central Business District) of Abuja, this spot is a home for South Korean culture, providing Nigerians with an experience of the food, tradition, and language at low costs. The space hosts activities and events that push attendees to have important conversations around heritage, arts, and culture. They can examine aspects of tradition that are common to both countries, and the customs that set each one apart through initiatives like the Movie Screening. From book spotlights to cooking classes, interested participants can have discussions on pop culture, meet fellow enthusiasts, and just have a good time. In this space, you can be Korean for a while, entering into a world of hanboks and braised mackerels beyond what is seen onscreen.
Discovery Museum
Often referred to as Nigeria’s first digital museum, this hangout spot in Abuja is an intersection point for art, history, and technology. The museum is home to replicas of stolen historic artworks that prompt meaningful discourse about the impact of colonialism on indigenous art. Beyond this, other sections skillfully integrate modern technology into reflections on the nation’s past, present, and future. People are exposed to aspects of history that often get swept under the carpet. They can engage in matters around indigenous proverbs, artistry, African spirituality, and what it means to be a Nigerian in this fast-paced world. The aim is not just to showcase art but to push people to form connections with these parts of history that are also a part of their identity. It is a leisure space that can be visited with family and friends.
Polygon
Polygon was created with the objective of making space for creatives to unleash their creativity and art by presenting a blank canvas that people can work with, and channel their inspiration and ideas however they like. All the same, Polygon offers engaging sessions around filmmaking, music shows, storytelling and culture. It has also been home to several workshops including the Culture Custodian Narrative Podcast Workshop. Polygon affords creatives a glimpse of what can happen when their ideas are given space to breathe and be born. At Polygon, the key offering is a space for you; what you make of it is up to you.
Roms Candle Gallery
Abuloma, Port-Harcourt presents a DIY (Do It Yourself) studio for people to create and explore the art of candle making. They also host a club for children to build creativity through jute crafts, bead making, perfume making, and gypsum craft, among others. There is a special recharge experience called Soulful Saturdays, where participants are instructed through indoor cycling and diffuser making. With tufting and pottery workshops, this space serves an important function of letting people unwind in ways that are positive to their well-being and their bond with loved ones.
Ouida Books
Ouida Books, Lagos is a cultural center that combines a cafe, bookstore and workspace. The center hosts book chats with renowned Nigerian authors including Aiwanose Odafen, Fatima Bala and Ayobami Adebayo. There are also periodic Open Mic Nights where people gather around poetry, music and storytelling. There is a variety of other programmes such as the Ìsèdá—a cinema and film industry forum, and Silent Reading Party—a potluck style event for book lovers to gather and read books in a cozy space, silently. Ouida Books is keen on providing a space for creativity and art to thrive, while at the same time letting people relax and enjoy community.
Bookish Trybe
Bookish Trybe is a club for lovers of storytelling, art, and books in Port-Harcourt. They meet up from time to time to discuss the selected book of the month, exploring issues from these books that hold relevance to contemporary readers. It is a fast-growing community that has bonded over the love for literature, and all that books stand for. They are able to develop thriving connections that give room for people to be themselves, and leave each hangout feeling lighter than they arrived. It usually has meetings in partnership with Cafe One and The Readers Hut, extending to areas like Owerri.
Beyond the relaxation and fun that these spaces provide, third places have a key contribution to the quality of democracy in the country. Every democratic nation needs to have public spaces where people can air their opinions freely, debate ideas and form public opinion. Third spaces also provide a decentralized space with little to no structure that fosters meaningful discourse that turns into relationships and contributes to stronger communities.
The minimal censorship and the fact that people are not obligated to be there makes participation easy and wholesome. Third spaces can look different from community to community but they are not new inventions— the suya spots, the riverside discussions and beer parlor conversations have always been a part of our society. It is important that these spaces are protected because they are reminders of our communal heritage, and they remain a tool for collective action.
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