Lonely In Lagos
World Service
Poet and broadcaster Wana Udobang meets people in her home city of Lagos, to find out what causes loneliness in Africa’s most populous city.
Lagos in Nigeria is Africa’s most populous city. But despite the hustle and bustle of this vibrant metropolis, many people here feel isolated and lonely.
Poet and broadcaster Wana Udobang, who lives in Lagos, discovers parts of the city she has never visited, to ask what causes loneliness, and how people are tackling it.
We hear stories from a gay man who has found the strict laws against homosexuality in Nigeria have led him to feel isolated and alone, and visit a group of women sex workers whose homes were demolished in one of the city’s poorest areas, as they come together to tackle loneliness.
Wana also visits a community group tackling loneliness among the elderly population. By the Lagos lagoon she talks to a young man with clinical depression who has found solace in nature, and we hear how a group of cyclists are bringing people together in the city.
Produced by Jo Wheeler
Broadcast: 9th September 2017