What Do Young Lagosians Have Against Partying During The Day?

Lagos aka Eko for show, is famous for its nightlife and party culture which spans across age groups and socio-economic backgrounds. From owambes and naming ceremonies to ticketed events; the club nights, pool parties and raves, Lagosians face no shortage of opportunities to get dressed up, let their hair down and dance their cares away at any time of the day.

While older Lagosians appear to have no issue with events starting as early as 10 am, younger Lagosians seem to feel differently. Picture this: an event catering to young Lagosians: a flyer is circulated for the event, which is advertised to start at noon and end by 7 pm, but event organizers don’t start setting up until about 1 pm. Guests start trickling in around 3:30 pm, and by 6 pm, the space is only half full. Around 7 pm, when the sun has begun to set, people start arriving in droves, and by 10 pm, 3 hours after the event should have ended, the party is in full swing. This is a recognised pattern as opposed to an anomaly. More intriguing than this phenomenon itself are the possible reasons behind it, and in this piece, we attempt to answer the question of what young Lagosians have against partying during the day. 

The first and most obvious reason is that Nigerians across the board have a timeliness issue. From flights to meeting times to even payment of salaries, Nigerians are rarely ever on time. Punctuality is hard to come by, and people who embody the trait often do so to their detriment, as everybody else is operating on a timeline of their own. It is almost as if our culture punishes timeliness. “African time,”  the peculiar phenomenon that means that Africans, Nigerians especially, do not simply accept tardiness but take pride in it, is as real as anything and if event organizers and guests alike are operating based on African time, it’s no wonder that daytime events never actually start during the day. Even in instances where organizers have kept to time, e.g., Rema’s December 2024 concert where he repeatedly urged fans to arrive on time, as he would be starting his show at the exact time advertised, Lagosians insist on turning up late. As a result of this consistent trend, organizers now anticipate that guests will arrive late, so they start to set up later than they should. Guests assume that organizers will set up late and that other guests will arrive late, so they delay their arrival, and the vicious cycle continues. 

Another possible reason is the often unbearable Lagos heat. If an event is slated to take place during the day, especially outdoors, you can be sure that the sweltering heat will subdue even the most energetic of guests, and this will make for a very deflated party. Carrying a hand-fan is commonplace at Lagos events, but is hardly enough to keep the heat at bay and with the amount of effort that goes into getting ready for an outing, it is no surprise that party-goers prefer to avoid spending too long under the sun’s glare. 

Partying in a society that insists on the performance of morality comes with its downsides, and one of these downsides is the self-consciousness that comes with having a good (and by Nigerian standards, “immoral”) time. More rural areas like Mushin, Agege, and Somolu are less precious about such things, but the urban areas of Lagos, such as Lekki and environs, are a bit different. The use of recreational substances, such as alcohol, for example, is not something typically done during the day; women can hardly wear flattering clothing in broad daylight without having to endure catcalling and harassment, and any hint at sexuality is swiftly met with disapproval or even reprimand. Lagos may be a party hub, often borderline nihilistic in its expressions of a good time, but these norms still exist amongst its inhabitants, even if not to the degree seen in less “liberal” states. When it comes to self-expression in such a society, the cover of nightfall is understandably preferable. 

Lagos is a commercial hub and as such, Lagosians are almost always busy, spending up to 8 hours a day at work and 3 to 4 hours stuck in the city’s infamous traffic surges which are at their peak between 6:30 am to 10am and 4:30pm to 8pm. This leaves a very small window within which any event can be fixed, especially during the week and daytime festivities are barely feasible. 

And even without any of the above mentioned factors coming into play, an undeniable fact is that the young Lagosian experience is all about the aesthetic. Shades in a semi-dark venue with moody lighting, smoke filled air and thumping beats all create an ambience that translates perfectly on social media; a key marketing tool as well as a means to let other people know how much fun you’re having.