Lagos, Nigeria, August 2026 (continued)

Africa abounds with talented painters and sculptors. I had previously brought home small artworks that fit into my modest-sized backpack. However, what I saw in Nigeria surpassed everything I had encountered before in terms of the vibrancy of colors and the diversity of subjects.

I couldn’t resist and bought a painting at the market. I bargained hard. Initial asking prices at these markets are usually about double the actual selling price. I pretended I’d changed my mind, said I had to leave, and so on. In the end, we settled on 30,000 naira ($22) instead of the 80,000 originally asked. They removed the painting from the stretcher bars it was mounted on. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to travel with it. I rolled up the canvas and wrapped it in plastic. Even then, it only fitted in my backpack if bent, but it made it home safely.

After the market, we visited an art gallery where the sheer abundance of artworks was dazzling. The group wandered through the floors, admiring the exhibits just as one would in a museum.

Once we saw the gallery, we were dressed in traditional Nigerian clothes and began taking photos – individually, in pairs, and in groups. I never would have imagined that this outfit would suit me so well.

At the local history museum, we were told the entire long history of the Nigerian people. Weary from the long day, we dozed off in our chairs while the guide enthusiastically recounted the names of all the local kings, their wives, and their descendants. We couldn’t retain any of the details which was a pity, as he spoke in an engaging, vivid, and humorous way. We would only jolt awake and struggle to pry our eyelids open whenever the guide raised his voice. Later on, we would see just how much Nigerians love their history and how extensively they talk about it. Finally, we were taken back to the hotel. Exhausted, many skipped dinner and went straight to bed. It was too much for a single day, especially the very first one in the country.

After catching up on sleep, enjoying a hearty hotel breakfast, and drinking strong coffee, the group set off to visit the presidential palace, the residence of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. First, we were given a tour of his museum, where we learned the full details of his life story from his birth into an ordinary farming family to his turbulent political career, which included a three-year stint in prison. Obasanjo served two consecutive terms as President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. He is considered the father of modern Nigeria, having done a great deal to develop the country’s agricultural sector. The constitution did not allow Obasanjo to run for a third term. Since then, he has been living in retirement at his palace; he is now 89 years old. We arrived at the palace, and it turned out the president was home and agreed to receive us. While the previous day we had met with the king and the prince, on the second day we had the opportunity to meet the president.

We all sat down at the large table, introduced ourselves, and chatted for a while. Members of our group who had previously worked for non-profits in Africa discovered they had mutual acquaintances with Obasanjo, and the conversation turned to shared memories. When the talk began to wind down, I thought, why not give him a small gift? I took off the bracelet I was wearing with the name of our community, NomadMania, and the Nigerian flag and handed it to him. Obasanjo examined it closely and put it on his wrist. Afterward, everyone took turns having their photo taken with him. My own photo with the president turned out so badly that I am not posting it here.