Despite the weight of survival, many Nigerians have mastered the art of unwinding, not because life is easy and there are no twist, turns or challenges, not because the traffic on the way to and fro work didn’t wreak havoc inside of the head of many Nigerians causing a headache that’ll almost make them loose the zeal to wake up the next morning, not because some of the roads aren’t shitty enough causing Nigerians to deal with bumpy roads and aggressive co citizens, Nigerians have mastered the art of unwinding and relaxing after a long awful or great day simply because, for many Nigerians, “joy is an act of rebellion”: it’s the need that lies in finding happiness in every day to day activity pushing aside challenges that poses a threat to staying joyful, the laughter shared in traffic jams, a sign of resilience that screams “oh I might be late for work or school but of course I’d rather share jokes with a fellow Nigerian that relates to my struggle and I’d rather laugh than stay moody about a traffic jam that I can’t control” who would share jokes and fun afrobeat jams in a traffic jam? It’s a typical Nigerian move.

A very long day at work for a Nigerian is not what determines how good or bad the day was spent; an aggressive boss doesn’t ruin the day of a typical Nigerian; an average Nigerian knows how to deal with an unhappy boss; competence is how a Nigerian keeps a boss with an uncontrollable attitude in check. What determines a good or bad day for a Nigerian is the hours after work, these hours truly define how a day was spent, when the office lights go off and the ties loosen, life begins again in its most familiar rhythm, the real joy hides in the traffic jam that turns into comedy shows, in the gist shared between weary colleagues inside danfos and Keke napeps, and in the roadside hangouts, suya spots or “mama puts” where suit and ties meet smoke and pepper.

You’ll see men in crisp shirts sitting on plastic chairs their ties hanging loose from frantically pulling it away from their necks in a bid to loosen tension, men laughing over grilled fish, meat or cold drinks and beers, the air loud with afrobeat music, though the men’s banter louder “ football, music, wether or not fat or slim women are more appealing, the state of the government?” words flying in and out without enough time to process every word.

The night does falls softly over the country, whether it's Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja or the warm, cozy town of Jos, the night definitely overwhelms the day at some point but the real question still stands, does Nigeria ever really sleep?, silent hum of generators becomes the rhythm of the evening when nepa refuses to offer electricity for reasons best known to them, the disturbing hums of generators across the streets blending with the distant laughter that echoes from a roadside joint, men in sweat stained shirts leaning against a car, cars packed at a suya joint, at a safe distance from the grill where the suya spice is been blended into the suya itself, laughter and joyful commotion in the air. Somewhere else for another Nigerian unwinding is slipping into comfy clothes in the comforts of their rented apartment and stepping out to join the neighbors for their daily routine of chit chats, the daily routine of evening gossip that keeps them updated on the new happenings around the neighborhood, these people are what we call the “amebo gang”…. the feel of the cotton clothes or informal slip on compared to the strict suite and ties they’ve been wearing all day, the gentle evening breeze against their skin, the chit chats and laughter, the jokes and mockery that is thrown around while taking rounds and playing games of the old even in new age, the mixed feelings of comfort and silent regret that lies in realizing how much fun is derived in what they used to criticize the old people for indulging in, the realization in how unwinding didn’t have to involve chaos and it could be derived right there in the backyard and balcony of an apartment.

For some Nigerians, however, unwinding isn’t always about the simplest activity; the act has evolved for a bunch of Nigerians; for some, relaxation now wears a touch of luxury or at least the feeling of a touch of luxury. Nigerians now settle at tea spots tucked in different corners of the city, bustling shawarma joints that glow under the simplest designs of neon light, Nigerians have now redefined what it means to take a break, malls echo with laughter and perfume trails of friends and loved ones as they trail the halls of malls during their leisure, the weekend or evenings catching up over ice cream and selfies.

The ritual of unwinding can even be tagged as a recent business revenue that has plummeted the rate at which income is being derived for some average Nigerians as tea spots, open air lounges, eateries, mini marts and convenience stores now serve as a consistent source of income for those that choose to invest in them, 69 out of 100 Nigerians visit unwinding spots such as gardens, tea spots, bonfire hangouts, beaches, roadside junk spots and many more, these Nigerians visit these spots weekly according to some charts!

Open-air lounges now serve as a spot for friends to catch up on trendy Nigerian music and news, no better place to talk about the unstable state of the country than an open-air lounge blasting with DJ mixes of Burna Boy, Zlatan, naira marley or rema’s recent drop, those discussions over music that fills the soul and food so savory and familiar to the tastebuds, shawarma, burger, suya, local delicacies like masa, fura, kunu, akara, depending on an individuals preferences.

These are spots where strangers become friends and friends deepen their bond even more, seeping unknowingly into family-like ties, becoming one family and easing the day's burden over grilled meat, cold drinks and warm stories.

For other Nigerians, unwinding is an occasional activity that lies in festivals that turns the dead into the living, carnivals that are hosted around festivities with drummers that breathe the zeal to live and be joyful into the souls of people, festivals hosted yearly across different cities for instance that includes drummers, dancers, lights, and rhythm that merges into the most electric feeling. Unwinding lies Under the open sky where life feels loud, raw and real, its in the laughter that bursts over the roadside junk food where nobody cares about calories or class, where the shawarma vendor flips the shawarma wrap like a magician, while teasing his customers, its in the puff puff sellers gists, gists that no one most probably didn’t ask for, its in the beautiful scenery of friends sitting side by side on a car bonnet, sharing food, drinks, and small chops from plastic plates turning an ordinary evening into a celebration of a day well spent, the streets suddenly feel like a large living room where strangers argue passionately about football or the price of fuel or other commodities as though it were a national duty to argue about those things(and yes it is, it’s our Nigeria anyway, the more passionate we are, the better).

For many Nigerian, unwinding isn’t about luxury, it’s a form of survival, it’s the art of carving joy out of noise, a special art of turning struggle into undeniable rhythm, we gather around food, gist and noise not because life is easy, but because we have learned that happiness lies in the life we’re able to build in the middle of storms.

There is something freeing about these moments,, the unbothered joy of licking the fingers free of the spices of these street foods, while the night breeze carries the sound of laughter and exhaust fumes, its chaotic yes, but its ours, a kind of chaos that we would choose everyday because it is ours to claim, it is a chaos that heals, for Nigerians who work so hard just to get by every living day of their lives, these little scenarios serve as a fortress for them, escapes that come in the form of roadside therapies, the bursts of laughter between mouthfuls of fried plantain or smoky suya are reminders that even in the roughest of days, Nigerians will always find a way to breathe, to laugh and to live loudly beyond the chaos.

“What do you do to unwind after a long day at work?”

The naija style’s art of unwinding : Jibril shifah.

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