In the early 1980s, while living with my parents in a suburb of Agege , Lagos , I had my first experience of boarding a train from the old Agege Railway Station to Sabo, Iddo . My mother worked with the Nigerian Railway Corporation ( NRC ). She grew up in the Sabo-Yaba , Ebute-Meta area of Lagos and frequently travelled by train from Agege to her office at Sabo. It was often a privilege for me to accompany her on those journeys, taking in the sights, the people, and the atmosphere of Lagos through the wide-eyed wonder of childhood. On occasions when I fell ill, we visited the Nigerian Railway staff hospital at Sabo. I remember the hospital as an impressive structure for that era. Before seeing the doctor—especially knowing there was a likelihood of receiving an injection—we would visit the canteen after booking the appointment. My special request was always yam porridge . Those train rides were more than transportation; they were formative experiences—quiet lessons in observation, m...
