“You always hear about all the crime and danger, but people don’t talk about all the positive things in Nigeria,” says Luis Mayoral, a Spanish diplomat who has been living in Lagos for seven years. “Sure, the place can drive you crazy sometimes, but it has an energy you won’t find anywhere else in the world. The music and culture is incredible. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in the world and things are happening – it’s dynamic. And the people here are very warm and they look out for each other. You can go downtown during the day and it’s fine.”

“And at night?” I ask.

“No, not at night,” he says, and shrugs. “This is Lagos, things happen.”

From the pages of our latest WAVES Issue. Our feature Nigeria surf trip, where we dodged as many bullets as we did barrels!

Professional surfer’s Luke Davis and William Allioti embark on an unlikely surf trip, making their way through Nigeria’s busy capital in search of a perfect left-hander.

From Calving Thompson Films