The Niger Delta
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As dusk faded into a hot humid night, the orange glow of multiple gas flares danced across the skyline over the southeastern city of Port Harcourt, the unofficial capital of black Africa's biggest oil industry. A major traffic jam, or "go-slow" in local parlance, gripped the Old Aba Road.... On both sides of the route, three lines of vehicles, ranging from motorbikes and cars to oil tankers belching thick clouds of diesel fumes, jockeyed to squeeze into one lane of pure gridlock. Seemingly oblivious to the deafening cacophony of horns, young boys bobbed and weaved through the obstacle course of metallic congestion, hawking food and drink. Drivers switched off their engines to preserve fuel as passengers piled out of minibuses and taxis, convinced that it would be faster to walk.
- This House Has Fallen, by Karl Maier |
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Such was my commute for 1-1/2 years along the Old Aba Road in Port Harcourt. I quickly learned to keep jogging gear in the car, abandoning my driver to deal with the confusion, usually a 4-hour nightmare. I enjoyed the 30-minute jog through the frequent go-slows and it was a great way to stay fit. Although the population has exploded in the last 30 years, Port Harcourt retains a small-town feel and the locals often waved and joked as I dashed through the maze.
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Wednesday and Friday are Market Days in PH; vendors travel great distances to sell everything from clothes to live chickens. Bulging with people and overloaded with trade goods, public transport converges on the marketplace. Nigerians are famously stubborn and their bicycles, motorcycles, and wheelbarrows quickly clog the roads. Market Day always brings big wahala (problems) and plenty go-slow (traffic jams). Drivers are impatient and ignore road rules; driving on the wrong side, impatient drivers exacerbate the problem, ensuring gridlock. |
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Where there's a go slow, street hawkers follow. These young entrepreneurs wander among the cars selling anything and everything. Right to left are fresh mangoes, boiled eggs, sliced bread, bags of water, and an eager hand.
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I was a regular customer for bananas or peanuts and always enjoyed haggling. The boy on the right is hawking packages of fried plantain. Aside from food, there's an amazing variety: books, batteries, office supplies, sunglasses, pirated software & video, auto parts, even toilet seats. |
The typical Nigerian diet is high in carbohydrates and protein, with few sweets and no processed sugars. Breakfast might be white bread and a couple hard-boiled eggs. Another popular meal is a concoction of pure cornstarch, similar to oatmeal. It tastes a lot like glue. For lunch and dinner, there's usually pounded yam, fish pepper soup (or goat, or beef), and always plenty of rice. The fish pepper soup is quite good; a typical serving has huge chunks of white fish (sometimes the head) in a spicy vegetable broth, often quite hot. Pounded yam is similar to thick mashed potatoes, but the taste is very bland.
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There are many different yam species, but this is a typical field. In addition to the large tuber, the leaves are cooked much like spinach. It has a pungent bitter taste that's non-palatable to most Westerners. |
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Rice is the other major source of carbohydrates and calories. It's usually served plain or with fish pepper soup. My favorite Nigerian food is suya. Suya are strips of thinly sliced beef, heavily coated with red pepper, skewered, and grilled over an open fire. If it's tender, it's exquisite. It's readily available on any street corner.
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Hamatan is the cool season. From January thru March, winds in the Sahara lift fine-grained sand into the upper atmosphere, where it spreads across much of the continent. The air, thick with dust, provokes colds & sinus infections, and often closes the airports. |
Many expats complain about Port Harcourt being boring, especially for spouses and children. Although I preferred Lagos, there were enough distractions in Port Harcourt to keep me busy.
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The PH Hash House Harriers are strictly bush-runners. Although not as wild and vulgar as the Lagos Hash, it was a great opportunity to see the countryside. |
Water was a common theme...
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Unlike Lagos, Port Harcourt has a lively club scene. Local music and dance are influenced by the Mikosa tradition from neighboring Cameroon. Mikosa dance is a butt-shaking marathon and some of these girls wiggle ten directions at once.
These photos are from a "beauty contest" in one of the clubs. |
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Some entertaining translations from Pidgin English.
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Wahala (trouble).
Go slow (traffic jam).
Plenty hold up (big traffic jam).
Abeg (please, I beg).
How now? How ya body? (How are you?)
Fine-oh. Well done. (I'm fine. I'm doing well.)
Four one nine (slang for scam, a reference to the Nigerian Penal Code).
Shakara woman no dey shame (beautiful woman without shame, proud, possibly conceited).
The matter don go head (events have come to a head).
Him have small head (stupid man).
Monkey no fine, but him momma love him (so ugly only his mother loves him).
AIDS no dey show for face (reference to the impossibility of knowing who's positive).
Abeg, hold body or use condom (please practice abstinence or safe sex).
I don spoil am (I broke it).
Come now, make you carry youself go (please leave).
My brain go disappoint me-oh (I'm confused). |
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