A typical Lagos music concert has the potential for explosive disorderliness; depending on the artist and the crowd they’re able to command, there is always the tendency of something going terribly wrong. Sometimes with the concert itself, and unfailingly with the unsuspecting concert-goers who simply want to have a good time while showing support for their favorite music acts.
A wide range of factors can be blamed on this persistent occurrences, from the negligence on the part of concert organizers and the minimal attention given to the security and safety of concert-goers to the congested ecosystem that is Lagos.
Sure, these occurrences sometimes come from the concertgoers themselves who come with the intent to cause trouble, but with the weak security systems installed in these fun spaces, they almost always get away with whatever mischief they get up to.
Recently, the NativeLand concert known for its edgy blend of both established and fast-rising acts offered to a heavily alté crowd came under scrutiny for its extremely poor security and structural decisions at its’ last concert held on December 19, 2019. These shabby decisions not only endangered the lives of many attendees as young as 15 but left a few seriously injured and traumatized.
Not to forget also, the recent murder of a man at Wizkid’s Starboy Fest in the early hours of Friday, December 27, and the countless attempted and successful robbery cases shared by the people who attended the concert. These reports are disturbing and shouldn’t be coming off a concert people paid to attend, and even if they didn’t pay, it shouldn’t be heard off a concert if the organizers cared enough about the safety of their audience beforehand.
In trying to meet the growing demand for more entertainment spaces for music lovers and making it much more possible for artists to connect physically with their fanbase, the place of tighter security shouldn’t be compromised for any reason.
People shouldn’t have had to be injured for the most basic preemptive steps to be taken by concert organizers. We all love to attend a great show, but it would be even more terrific if we came back from them, unscathed and alive.
Nelson C.J is a culture writer with works in The New York Times, Xtra Magazine, OkayAfrica, Black Youth Project, AfroPunk, and a few other spaces. You can find him saving dog pictures on Twitter.
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