Dakar is Hot, Humid and Historic. I love it!
A proverb from my Igbo tribe in Nigeria defines the importance of traveling. It says, Oje mba enwe ilo — A traveller has no enemies. This implies that as traveling takes you to foreign lands, it enables you to learn about cultures and as a result have respect for cultures of others. Indeed, most people who are widely traveled are more tolerant of others. You learn that diversity is a strength and not a weakness.
Recently, I traveled to Dakar, Senegal. Living up to the truth of my Igbo proverb, I immersed myself in the city, interacted with the locals, visited important historic sites, enjoyed the night life and gave a ‘Moth’ Talk. I made no enemies.
This is a note on my visit to Dakar. Hope it inspires you to visit too.
Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport welcomes you to the city with the westernmost part of west Africa
Dakar airport is small, clean and modern. Passing through immigration as a West African was a walk in the park. I felt seen and appreciated. I wish it was the same with most of my travels. The immigration officer was courteous and fast while attending to me. Brace yourself as you exit the airport because the city Centre is about 60km from the airport. It was an endless journey thanks to my impatience to get to my hotel.
Mind your language
Traveling to an African country as an African, one assumes that it’s all rosy. That you would meet and connect with locals swiftly. However, there is a huge barrier to connect. Language!!! Senegal is a Francophone country while I am from Anglophone Nigeria. Being unable to speak and understand French slowed my attempt to locate the taxi that was sent to pick me up from the airport. It also affected my interactions all through my stay in Dakar. As you can imagine, Google Translate (from French to English) came to my rescue. To buy things, typing out the amount in my iPhone’s calculator helped.
Dakar is hot and humid
The humidity in Dakar hits you once you exit the airport building into the car park. Dakar is a coastal city, with the Atlantic Ocean lining significant portions of the city. The humidity makes the temperature feel hotter. For instance, on a morning when temperature was 28 degrees centigrade, humidity was 81%. This made the temperature feel like 33 degrees. If you plan to visit the city, please dress lightly. Applying sunscreen lotion is a must in Dakar. Whether you are White, Brown or Black. However, I hear that in Dakar, it is chilly early in the year. The classic West African harmattan season. If traveling to Dakar then, please pack warm clothing.
Jollof wars are eternal
The Jollof war across West Africa is unending. There is constant bickering among Nigerians, Ghanaians and Senegalese on which country makes the best Jollof Rice. For context, Jollof Rice originated from the Wolof tribe of Senegal. Despite this, Nigerians believe that we have perfected the dish. On my second day, a colleague took me to eat Jollof in a fancy Dakar restaurant. To my utter dismay, it was quite delicious. I posted this on Twitter. Nigerians are disappointed. Some insisted that I need a visa to return back to Nigeria. Sigh!
Understandably, there is a Jolof Band and a ‘Djolof Chicken’ fast food restaurant.
A community group supplies 70% of lettuce consumed in Senegal
A major highlight of my visit was joining my Aspen New Voices Fellowship and Niyel colleagues to visit CICODEV Africa, working with community groups in Agro-Ecology. We visited Les Maraichers De Lendeng — one of CICODEV partners. We were received by leaders of the organization in one of their farms. The meeting was under a tree. Although it was hot and humid, we were served hot sweet tea in small glass teacups. The leader is from the Fulani ethnic group. There are Fulanis in Nigeria too. Knowing this reaffirms the nomadic nature of the Fulanis. This community organisation produces 70% of lettuce consumed in Senegal. As we say in Nigeria, that is hooogggeee!!!
Building collapse must be rare in Dakar
One of the first things that caught my attention on my journey from the airport to the city was the quality of buildings in Dakar. Coming from Nigeria with frequent building collapse, I was impressed by this. I have written about a public health approach to ending building collapses in Nigeria in a previous piece. Senegal practices prevention is better than cure and it is visible to everyone.
Nightlife is lit — Literally and figuratively. There is uninterrupted electricity.
The night is alive in Dakar. It is lit both literally and figuratively. Streetlights are functional. Most are connected to the national grid. There are some that are solar-powered. The uninterrupted electricity in Dakar puts Nigeria to shame. As I was in Dakar, Nigeria’s national grid collapsed for the 8th time in 2022! A colleague told me that the heat in the city makes people rest during the day and go out for fun at night. For someone who doesn’t keep late nights in Nigeria, I was confident going out for dinner dates in Dakar. If you are a nightcrawler, there are many excellent restaurants to visit including Radisson Blu Infinity Pool Bar, Phare des Mamelles and lots more. Beware — Dakar’s fancy restaurants are very expensive.
Gorée Island tells the brutal journey of African slaves
Gorée is a car-free island off the coast of Dakar. It is a UNESCO Heritage Centre. Getting there requires taking a ferry from the major Dakar port and embarking on a 15-minute ride. Knowing the brutal history of the island, I was apprehensive. I knew it was going to be an emotional trip. UNESCO describes it as the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French. Twenty million slaves passed through Gorée. They were kept in tiny rooms measuring about 10 feet by 10 feet. In each of these tiny rooms, 25 slaves were shackled, brutalized and allowed to stay in their waste. I sat in one of the rooms where male slaves were kept to reconnect with my ancestors. It was emotional. About 20 million slaves passed through Gorée. Six million were killed from trauma and infections. The door of “no return” is the final gateway of slaves before being shipped off. As my Igbo tribe says, Ozoemena — may it not happen again.
This photo is by Sherine Achieng
The African Renaissance Monument is empowering
It is a statue of a man, woman and child. It sits atop a hill, overlooking one of the many harbors in Dakar. It is a bridge between Africa’s painful past of slavery and a Wakanda-like future. The child points the way forward for a youthful African continent. It is a site to visit.
This Photo by: Elmer Aluge
Highways are excellent, inner roads could be better and traffic congestion is similar to Lagos
The highways in Dakar are excellent. Well paved and tolled. Driving from the airport to the city center is on excellent roads. There are at least three toll gates depending on your route. However, its inner roads are poor. The traffic makes moving around the city difficult. I wager that in addition to the heat, the traffic congestion contributes to people’s preference for night life in Dakar.
In Dakar, horses are Beasts of Burden
While taking a walk a day after my arrival in Dakar, I saw a horse tied to a cart and used to convey products. Subsequently, I saw many of those around the city — horses being used as beasts of burden. Where I come from, horses are rarely used in that manner. Horses are used in polo grounds, glittering durbar in northern Nigeria, paid rides in parks and beaches. Instead donkeys are the beasts of burden in Nigeria. It was shocking to see such graceful animals used this way in Dakar.
Marche HLM is a place of bargain
When I asked one of my colleagues for the name of the largest market in Dakar, she did not hesitate to say it is Marche HLM. I did a quick Google search before going there. I wanted to read reviews by other visitors. Marche HLM is described as a busy market with a variety of goods. Traders and hustlers are persistent. Visitors are encouraged to bargain. I bargained very well before paying for things I bought. My mother would be proud.
The Moth Talk
I was in Dakar for two major reasons. First, was a meeting with Aspen New Voices Fellowship and Niyel colleagues to brainstorm on the West African Media and Advocacy Fellowship. I am leading the conceptualisation, implementation and monitoring of this new bespoke Fellowship in the West Africa region. Second, was to join the 2022 cohort of the Aspen New Voices Fellows to be trained and deliver a Moth Talk. The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. It works with the Aspen New Voices Fellowship to train fellows.
Stranded in Dakar
The strike by Air Traffic Controllers across West African countries disrupted my trip back to Nigeria. I was delayed for 4 days in Dakar. Initially, I felt trapped. However, I used those extra days to explore the city, do some shopping and connect with friends.
I enjoyed Dakar. It is a city I want to explore further. I shall be back.
